© 2009 Crawford Enterprises
All rights reserved.

Volume 9 Number 2

April 2009

    

  • Welcome

  • Did You Know....

  • eNews Overview

  • Announcements/Events Submissions

  • Subscriptions

  • Contact Information

  • Copyright

  • What's New

  • Announcements/Events

  • Interesting Tidbits!

  • Free Patterns

  • Pattern/Project of the Month

  • Mystery Quilt News

  • Subscriber's Gallery

  • Forum News

  • Quilting Classes

  • What's Next

  • Suggestions

  • Summary
 


by Terry

     Wow!  A lot has happened since my last publication! 

     I moved to Las Vegas, Nevada and tried going back to work (for the health insurance!).  Needless to say, it did not do me any good, and in fact, it caused my health to get even worse.  So, once again, I am back to quilting and not working.  But, alas, the good news is that I am going to move back to Oklahoma to recuperate and simply fly to Nevada only when I need medical attention (about every 6 weeks or so, right now).

     Ah, spring in Oklahoma!  The flowers and trees are blooming, the grass is thriving, the redbud trees are in full bloom, as are the daffodils and the dogwood trees are starting to bud.  My peonies are coming up and I can hardly wait for the lilacs (my favorite flowers) to bloom.  Has spring sprung for you, too?

     I am heading back to Oklahoma the first of May and my oldest son is going to fly out to drive me home.  We're going through Colorado and going to go to all the places we used to back when all my family was alive.  We plan on driving the trails (jeeps only) and fishing for trout.  I can hardly wait!

     My family here in Oklahoma surprised me with a birthday party yesterday and it was wonderful!!!!!!!

     Updating the Quilting Passion Web site is still in progress, and due to its size now (and it continues to grow!), it is a very slow process.  I know that I still have several broken pages out in cyberspace and if you come across one, please send me an e-mail so that I can fix it.  Or if I've moved a page and you can not find it, let me know and I'll point you to it.  I appreciate your patience with me as my virtual dust is being spread about!
 

 

     April 1st is April Fool's Day?

     That on April 10th, it'll be Good Friday?

     That 12th is Easter (the first time my birthday has ever fallen on Easter is this year!)?

     That tax time (April 15th) is just around the corner?  Anyone thinking "extension" yet?
 

     The Quilting Passion electronic Newsletter is a free monthly publication that keeps subscribers up-to-date on news that may include:

 

  

   Do you have any announcements that you feel would be of use to the eNews?  Perhaps a quilt show, a new grandbaby, etc.?  If so, please let me know and I'll squeeze them into the next edition of the eNews.
 

     Receive an e-mail notification when a new issue of this electronic newsletter (eNews) is published by joining the mailing list.  Membership is free.  To subscribe, simply send an e-mail to Terry.

     To subscribe to the Mystery Quilt mailing list, simply send an e-mail to Terry.

     To be removed from a mailing list, send an e-mail to the appropriate address (given above) with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject area.
 

Terry Crawford
220 N. Ora
Pryor, OK   74361
 http://quiltingpassion.com/
quilting@quiltingpassion.com

     The new Desktop Wallpaper Calendar is commemorative of April.  There are two (2) different versions of it; one with the seasonal graphics overlaying it and one without.  The blocks selected for this month's calendar are called, "Ring of Butterflies" and "Ring of Butterflies 2", both created using EQ5.   

     What else is new?  Well... I have updated a couple month's worth of articles.  Please watch the forum or this Web site for more details of upcoming events!

     A few articles that you may find of interest from this past month include:

     I already have plans for quite a few articles (and other things) over the next month and if you have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know. 

     Lots of new ideas forming in my head... just need some time to put them together.  The great thing is that I can see I am making a lot of progress!

     Upcoming Events:

  • April 10 - Good Friday 

  • April 12 - Easter

  • April 12 - Terry's Birthday!

  • All Month - A lot of Forum Birthdays!

     For a listing of known quilt shows, birthdays, anniversaries, and other events, please refer to the Quilting Passion Calendar.  If you have an event you would like submitted, please contact me!

     Enjoy these small bites of information!

  • There are quilt stories to be told all across the country!

  • Who was Anna Tules and what did she contribute to quilting way back when?

     I plan on offering quite a few free patterns to users of the Quilting Passion Web site.   These patterns include individual blocks and also quilts.

     I finished the two patterns from last month's desktop wallpaper:  "Sunbonnet Sue With Watering Can" and "Overall Bill"

 

    

     The patterns that I have chosen to highlight for this month are ones that I just updated on Quilting Passion.

     First, is a very versatile "25-Patch Alternate" block.  This block has been used in many ways a couple of good examples can be seen in the gallery,

     Second, is nice spring floral block called "Crocus".   

     Mystery Quilt 19 finished last month and if you have any photos, please feel free to send them!  Also, Nina made another quilt from MQ18 that is simply stunning!

     Mystery Quilt 20 is in the planning stages and will probably kick off in May.  It would make either a great holiday wallhanging:  Independence Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any thing else your little ol' brain can imagine!

     You can subscribe to the MQ mailing list to keep on top of current mysteries!  If you would like to view previous mysteries, then be sure to check the pictures of quite a few finished mysteries in the Gallery below!

     The Gallery has had a few new additions, so when you get a chance, take a look at all of the fabulous quilts made from our readers over the past few months.  A very special thank you to those who share their finished projects with me, but most importantly, to those of you that use my patterns!  YOU are the incentive that keeps me designing!  Did you realize that?

     If you have made a quilt using one of the patterns on this site, please share a photo with me so that I can add it to the gallery?  When submitting the photo, provide your first name and state that you live in.  I'd certainly appreciate it!


     I know you've heard it before, but you can help our Charity Project just by using a Yahoo search engine (It's as good or even better than Google)!  I would appreciate it if you begin using this search engine on a regular basis and also encourage your friends, co-workers, and family to use it, too.  Be sure to select "Quilting Passion Organization" when you do a search for us to get credit!  The search engine is named GoodSearch.  Instead of typing the Web site in every time you want to use it, it is simple to make it your default search engine by following these simple directions to change the default search provider:

  1. Open Internet Explorer.
  2. Left-Click the arrow to the right of the Search Options button (it's located next to the magnifying class icon).
  3. Click Change Search Defaults.
  4. Click on Find More Providers.  It should open a window that has this address:  http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/searchguide/en-en/default.mspx
  5. In the new window, there is a yellow/orange area on the right, titled Create Your Own.  In the top blank area, paste in this address:  http://www.goodsearch.com/Search.aspx?Keywords=TEST
  6. In the second blank area, type in a name for the search engine, such as Good Search.
  7. Click Install.
  8. Click Add in the new window.
  9. Left-Click the arrow to the right of the Search Options button (it's located next to the magnifying class icon).
  10. Click Change Search Defaults.
  11. Select the name of the one you just added, Good Search (or whatever name you used).
  12. Click Set Default.
  13. Click OK.

     Again, please use GoodSearch and recommend it to everyone!     We would certainly be very appreciative!

 

     The forum has been open since September 17th, 2001!  Going on nine (9) years.  It's amazing.  We currently have 8,087 members, up 18 members since last month.  That doesn't include guests!  We have had a total of 62,240 guests since opening, again up from last month!  We also have 27 new members in March 2009, so welcome to all of you that have just joined us... and thank you to all of you that continue to support us.  Lurkers, too, are always welcome, and of course, if you feel the need to type and share, we love reading it!  The goal of the forum is to provide an environment where people can come to learn, enjoy, share their projects, and keep up with what's going on our quilting and personal worlds.  I feel blessed that many of you choose to spend your precious time with us!  Note:  These stats were taken at 12:05 AM PST, 04/01/09.  

     A few of our monthly projects that I would like to see reinstated include:

      Special Projects that are in planning include:

  • Preemie Quilt Drive,

  • RRCD Project (ongoing, but with changes due to the economy).

  • 5" "Charm" square drive.

     The "Round Robin Charity Drive", or RRCD continues to grow and has quickly become one of the most popular activities on the forum.  We have donated a total of 1,839 quilts since March of 2002, 44 donated in 2009, 228 of those in 2008, 311 of those in 2007 and 420 in 2006!  We are still cranking out quilts for a wonderful cause and I am so very proud of each of you that are accomplishing this miracle.

     

     There is currently one class in the process:  Making A Quilt Journal.  Supplies will be given on the forum this week and then the class will officially kick off sometime the week of April 13th. 

     Do you have any suggestions for a class?

         

    Hopefully, more free patterns.  In fact, I've had quite a few patterns and small projects in mind for the past few weeks and hope to find time in April/May to sit down and get to them!

     Do  you ever find that you have too many projects in your head and not enough time to do them all?

  

     Any new ideas roaming around in your head that you'd like to share with me?  Ideas for mysteries, swaps, new patterns, anything?

     Spring is my favorite time of the year, with summer coming up a close second.  As I stated in my welcome section, I will be living back in Oklahoma the majority of the time and really looking forward to doing a little landscaping on my new lot.  I will also try to share some photos of my little cottage (which I love!).

     May each of you have a blessed April; safe and happy.  Enjoy the time you have with your families, for they cannot be replaced.  Also take time to enjoy yourself, for your sanity cannot be replaced, either!  And above all, live life to the fullest!

Happy quilting,
Terry

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