Re: Time for another Roll Call?

Hello from Rock Island IL!

I am on the west coast of IL along the Mississippi River, bordering IA.

Been quilting off and on since 1985, that all hand made quilt from my first class is still not done. My preference these days is to make scrappy quilts by machine (piecing and quilting). I have also been exploring paper piecing courtesy of Carol Doak.

My DH of almost 28 years and I have three kiddos. DS # 1 is 22, his college graduation should be this fall. DS # 2 is almost 20, also in college. DD is 17. She is the source of my next major project. I have made HS graduation quilts for the boys and intimate friends, this has been no more than 2 or 3 quilts per graduation. Except for this next year. DD is in a very close group of 5 with a 6th who drifts in and out. I have already started working on the 5 (or 6) graduation quilts I will need for June 2010.

Through my guild, I help to make lots of charity quilts. I help out at our monthly work days and then bring home several to tie.

I am a social worker, fortunate to have two part-time jobs with flexible hours. One involves work with foster and adoptive parents, the other involves non-traditional gradute students.

Over the years I have been happy to meet some RCTQ members, always hoping to meet more in person.

Mary

My turn. I have been a member of this group for years, read most every day and really enjoy it. I've tried other online groups that didn't last. I started quilting in 1990 and my interest has grown with each passing year. I've been to Houston quilt show once, also Road to Calif. and Santa Clara and Lancaster,PA. I have a lot of books and plans to make certain quilts that I will probably never get to - sigh. I started with English paper piecing and hand quilting and have tried many different techniques over the years. I am in a group of seven that meets weekly in each others' homes to work on our own projects. We just returned from a weekend retreat in McCall, ID. I also go to Craft Warehouse Quilt Party most months and participate in making quilts for kids with cancer. I've made one quilt for a wounded soldier and gave it to one I knew of that had been wounded 7 times. I've made several for fundraisers and given a lot away to family and friends, and kept many. I have yet to do a bed size - no desire.

My DH and I have been married 34 years. We live in Idaho and he is a farmer - mostly mint. I worked as a programmer/analyst for about 20 years until I could be a stay-at-home mom. We have two daughters and a grandson 15 mo. old. Older daughter is an asst. principal, her husband is an English teacher and they live within a mile so we get to see them lots. Love it! We babysit the grandson one day a week. The younger daughter graduated college in May last year and is still looking for her place in the world. Currently she lives near us in an apt. and does substitute teaching and serving while she tries to figure out what she really wants to do.

My work is on webshots under Idahoqltr. I spend a lot of time looking at quilts on the internet. I love seeing all the great things people come up with!

Debra

Thanks, Michelle. So, do I hope we get some answers & yes, it is very stressful.

Donna in SW Idaho

Thank you Barbara, your prayers and warm thoughts are very much appreciated.

Donna in SW Idaho

Okay I guess I had better add to this especially as no one from south of the equator has done so.

Lived in the south west corner of Victoria, Australia for approx 23 years.

Married for 23 years and 51 weeks and have 1 DD aged 19 who has just started studying Marine Biology at Uni. and DS aged 15 who is still at high school.

I made all of the kids clothes when they were younger, overlocker and stretch fabric made that easy !

I did make a 'quilt' for each child shortly after they were born. Very simple items that were 'birthed' using dacron for batting.

About 5 years ago after doing some 'crafting' I made my first quilt for DS. Since then I have made about 15 of various sizes. I am slowly getting better especially with those 1/4" seams. I quilt my own straight lines so far but one day I will get the hang of free motion quilting and be half as good everyone else here.

Dee in Oz

OK,looks like everyone is here, so I'd better add my bit!!!

Also, a Brit, but Cornish as well!!!!! and I like to add a few exclamations as well!!!!!!

Now living in SW France. Was born and bred in Cornwall, so enjoy pasties and cream, but not together!!! Can make my own pasties and have recently discovered some Clotted Cream from the UK in a local supermarket!! Hurray!!!

Anyway, have been married to DH for 15 yrs this year, although we met at college and have been together for 22 years......gulp.... We've 2 DDs, the eldest of whom is 14 today!! The other DD is 10, but in October!!

We've 3 QIs the eldest cat is 20 years old next month and still going strong, will outlive us all! The 2nd is 9 years old and has a few health problems, but loving and has extra toes, so called Bigfoot!! The

We've lived in France since 2006, after waiting over 2 years to sell our house in Cornwall. My parents moved out with us and live 5 mins away, close enough to help each other and far enough away that we've our own lives!!!

Since, moving to France I also work a couple of hours a week at the local primary school teaching English. I'm sure that I am known as the mad Englishwoman!!!

Have quilted since 1995 and my first sewing course was at Jo Colwills, Launceston - Cowslips. Have almost finished that quilt......OK I've done others in the meantime, it just got packed away and turned in to a UFO!!!!! And flew off in to the Universe, but did return to be finished!

I really, miss going there and having chocolate cake and seeing all the exhibitions, but one day I would like to do the same here.

Anyway, we are about to move house, bank willing (sooooo much paperwork.....), to a house on the hill. We're currently renting a house in a valley, known to flood! We've just had the wettest winter here in years, didn't flood, but still it is time to move on.

What I would really like though is a little time to sew, our local group has an exhibition on in July (when we move house!) and then there is the new house to clean, clean, oh yes, clean and then paint, varnish, wallpaper.........!!!!!!!!!! After that there is the garden to look after, just under an acre.....!!!!!!! Oh yes, then I can sit down have a nice glass of something, take the phone off the hook and sew.......!!!!!

Do I like chocolate? of course I do.....any variety, not fussy! Well, I am at the moment, have broken a filling and waiting for it to be replaced next week, so trying to be good, seeing as I've a gaping hole in a tooth!!

As for quilting, still regret that I wasn't allowed to take Technical Drawing, because I was a girl and that was only in the 1980s! It would be so useful now...anyway, I'm quite good at drawing straight lines if I haven't had too much of the local wine...hehehe.

Happy quilting

Janner France

Polly has motivated me to post in the roll call. My rctq days date back to the early 90's when I first discovered the internet, and newsgroups. It wasn't at all like it is today. I even remember my first post! I'd made a dress out of a large patchwork I'd assembled for that purpose and posted about it. Don't remember what my nickname was, though. Twasn't Musicmaker. During that first relationship with rctq, some very kind quilter who was talking about Rose of Sharon quilts very kindly explained what that meant and then sent me a large envelope of Rose of Sharon patterns in the mail. WOW! I was hooked at that point because of the unexpected kindness of a stranger. I left rctq for a while but came back several yrs ago and plan on staying with you all for the duration - either of me or the internet, whichever ends first!

I live on a dead end road in south central IL, surrounded by woods and all that that suggests. My laptop is sitting on the dining room table, and to my right is a large picture window looking out on my "backyard" - trees, trees, and more trees, on which the leaves are growing so fast I can almost see them grow! I have 7 feeders and watch/listen to all the midwest birds year 'round come and visit. The calm and peace of the woods inspires me. I sit here and have a quiet time with God every morning and then check in with all my online contacts. Most days I have to be getting ready for teaching or other responsibilities by 8, though sometimes I have some elbow room and get revved up for either yard 'work', quilting, or mixed media experimenting. I'm currently finishing up a GORGEOUS (if I do say so myself) double sized, mostly aqua/turquoise quilt for a friend who's graduating from high school in 3 weeks. It's a 2 layer quilt - no batting, I backed it with royal blue fleece. I've hand quilted most of it with ecru pearl cotton, lavendar and royal blue embroidery thread. Last night I pulled out the hand dyed royal purple machine thread and have done a continuous line flower pattern in each corner.

I've been married for, um, let's see... cheese and rice - I have to do the math...just a minute... 27 yrs. He's a former Marine, bossy and opinionated - and it's taken me the whole 27 yrs to teach him to bend a little. He was a widower when I married him, having lost his wife and 9 yr old son in a car accident, and I 'inherited' the 5 yrs old son remaining, who's now 30 something and married, with 1 of my grand children already here, and twins on the way in JUNE! In spite of myself, and knowing full well that God is the reason Mark has turned out so well, I'm proud and pleased that I am his Mom.

Having been raised in an Air Force family, I was accustomed to new towns, schools, homes, for most of my life. I never made any lasting friendships - those take time and effort - but today I'm living happily in the same house for 27 yrs and my friends outnumber my fingers!!

Musicmaker

Hi all,

I am nearly retired, OH is but wont admit to it. He is a retired maintenance manager, panel beater and boat builder. We have 2 daughters - 27 & 21 yrs. (who have left home and live together for the time being with No.1 daughters partner), 5 QIs - two dogs [a rescued greyhound and a fat rotti), and three cats - two tortiseshell and one ginger striped.

My passion is family history which I have been doing for about 23 years now but I have been quilting/patchworking/embroidering/appliqueing for about 4 years (I think). This is running a very close second to family history. In fact I think I spend an equal amount of time doing both. I still have lots to learn and lurk a lot on here and have picked up some terrific information which has helped me. I used to sew my own clothes and those of my girls but they are not into home-made clothes any more but do love my quilts. My home is in Crib Point on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia and we have lived in this house for 20years.

I attend a craft class at the New Baptist Church in Rosebud (about 30 klms) where I meet with two cousins and a group of wonderful old and not so old ladies - we do have a lot of fun.

I am a chocolate addict, very happy to admit it but am constantly trying to kick the habit. Hope it doesn't work.

My OH and I have travelled up the east coast of Australia by all means of tranport - train, plane, car, 4X4 with caravan, bus and sailing yacht which we built in partnership with another couple. We had our first daughter in Queensland when we lived there for 5 years before returning home to Mornington Peninsula at Hastings where we built our first home and our second daughter was born.

Home is where my heart, computer and sewing machine is.

Di In cold, wet and windy Crib Point and loving it.

Here's my story...and I'm sticking to it!

I'm Kim in NJ - central New Jersey - not too far from several other RCTQ folks. I began sewing as a child as lots of others here have. My grandmother taught me crocheting as well. Since then it's been an absolute necessity of having textiles in my life in some way, shape or form. I sew, crochet, knit, needlepoint, cross stitch, embroider, etc. Most of which has been all self-taught. I've only been quilting about 8 years or so now, all self taught as well with the help of Alex Anderson on HGTV (love that network!). I have taken a couple of specific classes (binding and just recently paper piecing) but otherwise it's all trial and error. I machine piece and hand quilt. Goes back to that textile thing - have to have some kind of hand work going all the time. Most of my quilts are queen size or larger with a couple of crib quilts in between. So far, all for family or very close friends.

My DH Neal and I have been married almost 18 years now (anniversary in just a few short weeks). I'm in the 50+ age category and DH will hit the big 50 in January. We met flying hot air balloons and continue that activity still. I'm a private pilot and DH is commercial rated. We fly for fun and do passenger rides for a couple of extra $$. Since I'm currently unemployed, it helps a great deal. In fact, this summer we will be travelling to Switzerland to go ballooning over the Alps with folks for whom we fly passengers. It should be a great 2 weeks. DH is now employed as Director of Safety and Security for a local private school after 30 years in the family business that has been going steadily downhill for the last 10-15 years. He's having a blast. Guess I'll be back to work after all of our travelling is over in August.

We have QI's of the 4 legged variety only - 2 chocolate labs - (Hirsh E's) Nugget who is 12 year old male. He's getting lumpier and bumpier by the hour but still going pretty strong for a big old man. Then we have the Mayan Princess (Maya for short) who is our almost 5 year old female. Nugget's parents both crossed over the Rainbow Bridge several years ago.

My chocolate fetish is of the dark variety but since I've been on a no- flour/no sugar 'diet' for several years now, my choices are fairly limited.

OH? Ohioan? Old Husband? Original Heartbeat? Organized Hotshot? ;)

'Other Half' - I betcha! . In message , Sandy writes

Ornery Husband. ;>) John

Hi, I mostly lurk but I post sometimes. So, in case any of you were wondering who this stranger was, here goes:

I'm 50, single, and live just south of Detroit. I made my first quilt in 1974, and just recently found it in my parents' attic. Atrocious! LOL Let me just say that I'll never combine cotton, corduroy and velvet in the same quilt again.

I've got four fabulous kids, very proud of all of them. Chris is 34, and is a petty officer in the Navy, stationed at Andrews AFB in Washington D.C. I got to go to the last inauguration while staying at his house. Paul is a recording engineer at Paramount Studios in LA. He's got one son, my 3rd DGS. Rachel is in Florida with her DH, and her twin boys, my 1st and 2nd DGS. And Megan is still here in MI, with her boyfriend, although they've been together for seven years, so he feels like her husband to me.

As for me, I managed restaurants for 25 years, until I had a series of minor heart attacks, mostly stress related. Anyone in the business can relate, I'm sure. Now, I'm a photographer at a baseball stadium, taking pictures of happy fans. MUCH better job. And I'm temporarily living in my parents' house, as my mother had a stroke and my dad needs some help with her.

Chocolate: the darker the better. Coffee the same way. My favorite quilter is Jinny Beyer, I love just about everything she's ever done. My current quilt is a double Irish chain on point, in jewel tones on unbleached muslin. I used to sew quilts on the machine, when I was making them as gifts or for my kids, but not anymore. I'vew rediscovered the great qualities of hand piecing and quilting. Sure, it takes a long time, but for me it's the process, not the product. It'll get done eventually, and in the meantime it's very soothing to just piece by hand. No rush. I've never tried applique, but I'm thinking that I may get into that sometime in the near future.

That's all I can think of for now. That's me.

Aha! That makes much better sense! Thanks, Pat! :)

Hmmm...I'm not good at writing about myself. I have a web page at

I'm retired from teaching elementary school, live in a wooded community that has lake access for swimming and boating (I have a hydrobike that I pedal around on the lake,) fitness classes, a swimming pool, and tennis. I feel like I'm on vacation every day.

I share my home with Gray Soufflé, a very persnickety gray kitty who was a stray my daughter adopted from her front yard. I have two children and three grandchildren, but none really close by. It's about an hour and 20 minute drive to the grandchildren.

Carole D. - Retired and loving it in the foothills of NW Georgia

My quilts, crafts, QIs, and more -

I'm Linda from PATCHogue, (ryhmes with catch hog) NY which is on Lawn Guyland. I've been quilting since my kids said they wanted to wear teeshirts and jeans like everyone else and can I please stop making them beautiful dresses.

I am a special ed teacher and queen of the boxtops because our PTA offers prizes for the class who collects the most boxtops. We have a special needs class (not mine) with only 6 - 10 kids who don't stand a chance, so I collect for them.

I've also been quiet lately because life has a way of catching up. In March, my 95 year old father-in-law passed away after a brief illness. He was the primary caregiver for my 91 year old mother-in-law who lives an hour and a half away if no traffic. So, I've been doing a lot of running back and forth lately. She fired a home health care worker early on because she ate 3 pieces of pizza! I think we may have found someone she likes now.

I am looking foward to the summer so I can become reacquainted with my sewing machine. Linda, Boxtop Queen PATCHogue, NY

Hi from central Illinois. My name is Ramona and I've been married almost 39 years to my DH, Dan. We have 2 lovely girls: Vicky is our oldest and the one who just got her doctorate last year. She's been married almost 10 years to David and they have 2 dogs and 4 cats. Kimberly is our youngest, married to Dustin, and they are parents to my adorable grandkids - Veronica (3) and Vinnie - soon to be one!

We have 3 QIs, all tabby cats we've gotten from shelters or rescued. They are named Snickers, Kit Kat and Bliss - all are named after chocolate yummies.

My DH and I are technically retired but we took a part time job being on a sensory panel for an agribusiness company. He had worked there as an IT computer guru for 30 years. We actually thought we were volunteering to taste taste things and it turned out to be an actual job. We past all the tests and were both chosen to be on a panel of

I still love quilting and my next project is to make a quilted huppa topper for Vicky and David's renewal of vows in August. She converted a few years ago so they want to get married by a rabbi in the temple. The topper will be a wall hanging after the ceremony.

Another project is my evolving craft room that needs a reorganization really soon. Things got out of hand over the holidays so I must get to it. I also read a lot, especially cozy mysteries. Other crafting I do includes scrapbooking, crochet, knitting, lots of cross stitching, sketching, beading and I'm a news junkie and internet fan. Moni

Yep, Other Half, DH or RH Retired Husband.