by Terry

     Oklahoma is living up to her reputation by having the weirdest weather.  Here it is the first of August and we are still getting April thunderstorms!  

     The little garden is really putting out now.  I've been canning green beans, peppers, and tomatoes.  And I've been making pico de gallo like there is no tomorrow!  I also planted some cucumbers and squash a few days ago so that I'll have a fall garden, too.  Who would have thought it... me with a garden?!?!?!?!?!!!

     I have been spending a substantial amount of time sitting and have been putting it to good use doing "quilty" stuff.  I did have a nice little tan working, but am losing it now.  Oh, well... the "farmer's tan" wasn't perfect anyway!  LOL

     I just spent a few days with my mom and dad and sister in Tunica, MI.  The occasion?  Mom and Dad's 49th wedding anniversary!  We had some excellent "quality family time" and I am very thankful for it.  Dad's health continues to get worse and some days, I just don't know how he does it.

     I am hosting my class reunion on the 20th of August and can hardly believe it's been 30 years since I graduated from high school.  It will be great to see my old schoolmates, most of which I have not seen for 20 years.  I'm excited about this event!  

     It's been 15 months since I took the huge step of doing something about my weight.  Well, I'm happy to report that I have lost 208 pounds!!!!  It has not been easy, and it certainly has not been boring.  Time has flown by and I see how much I've accomplished since moving back home due to health issues, but I also see much more to do.  Above all, I believe I'm learning to be patient.  I am used to an "instant" world and discovered from day one that one's health is not something that can be regained in a moment, nor is it something that should be taken for granted.  I am very thankful for all that I have and I will continue on my fantastic journey of getting my life back!  Quilting has been a lifesaver, too!

by Terry

     Think I've forgotten the Flower Appliqué Quilt?  Well, I haven't!  It is my plan to assemble this quilt in August!  Once that is finished, I'll kick off a new year-long project.

     The August Wallpaper is now online!  Summer is in full swing here and so are the roses, so it is with that in mind that I designed this one.

      I finished the series of instructional tutorials on making Flying Geese and have received a lot of positive feedback.  Thank you all so much for letting me know what works for you... and what doesn't!  Your feedback keeps me headed in the right direction and I appreciate it.

     If you check out the project page, you will see that I have updated it.  I removed old projects that had dead links and added new projects.  In fact, I added over 300 new ones!

     I have kicked off a commercial side to my Web site, too.  It begins at:  http://quiltingpassion.com/market.  I have patterns, quilt kits, and Fat Quarters right now, and will be adding to this part of my site often.  I'm not out to make a $million, but my Web site is getting huge and I'm trying to find ways to offset the overhead.  Please be sure to check it out!

    
by Terry

     No new block patterns from me this past month, but I'll be releasing a couple of quilt patterns in a few days.  

    Be sure to check the main page of my Web site for updates on new patterns released.  Or click here to explore the possibilities! 

by Terry

     My pick for pattern of this month is a doorhanging for Halloween.  This pattern is fairly simple and so cute!  It's still a few months to Halloween, but it's never too soon to quilt. :)

 
by Terry

     Ready for Mystery Quilt 15?  It's in the planning stages... but, I'm having a hard time trying to decide what to do.  I have a couple three ideas...

by Terry

     The Gallery is a special place to showcase pictures of all the quilts that YOU have made using my patterns and/or ideas.  I have just recently added several new pictures, so be sure to check them out.  Y'all do such great work!!!

     And if you have finished any of my patterns, please share a picture with me so that I can add you to the gallery!  I would appreciate it!

by Terry

     The forum is my "home" on the Internet!  Just a few statistics to let you know how we're doing:

• We average approximately 185 member visits per day.

• We average approximately 50 visitor visits per day.

• Since opening our virtual doors on 09/16/02, we have had 5,026 people to become members and have had 16,943 visitors for a total of 21,969!

• We became a "Premium Forum" on 04/21/04.

• We have had 174,107 messages posted in the lifespan of the forum!!!

• We have generously donated 316 quilts to various charities, organizations, and individuals since March, 2002.

   There are many activities going on.  A few of our monthly projects include:

• Block Party

• FQ Drawing

• Charity Projects

• Fabric Swaps

• Block Swaps

• Challenges

• Events

      The "Round Robin Charity Drive", or RRCD continues to be an all-important aspect of the forum.  We have initiated a total of 356 quilts since March of 2002, and 7 of those since last month.  Out of the 356, 316 of those have already been donated, which is 12 more since the last month's report!  Isn't this fantastic?  The excitement of this project just doesn't end for me and I hope you feel the same way!  I am thrilled to be a part of this project!

     In the beginning, the RRCDs were done as the traditional "round robins", but a few months ago, we added a second method for making these quilts, made using the "row by row" method.  And beginning in late May, we kicked off yet a third method of making these quilts in which we simply make blocks to be sewn together.  This block by block method is already underway using the Snowball Block and 4-Patch 4-Rails. For more information regarding the ongoing collection of blocks, check in on the forum for snowballs or  4-Patch 4-Rails  or contact me for details!

     I am tracking all of the Project Linus Project information on our Web site, so it is easy for you to keep up with what's happening with this tremendous and oh-so-rewarding project.  The site also contains information on the donations and the waiting list.  I continue to have organizations contact me wanting on our waiting list.  The need is so great and I feel as though we are just a mere drop in the bucket, but nonetheless, every stitch that we take impacts a life somewhere and that is good.  If you know of an organization needing donations, please feel free to contact me via sregora@quiltingpassion.com.   Also, once an organization has received a donation from us, they can request to be placed on the waiting list again.  It will take another year or so for them to receive quilts again, but it is sure worth the wait!

    There are numerous block and fabric swaps going on, so if you're in the mood to sew, feel free to jump right in!  There are also many in the works, so stay tuned for new information.  If you would like to see a specific swap hosted, simply contact Myra (GR8DAME) and let her know and she'll see if she can get it kicked off.  

     Each month, we select two forum members to honor and recognize on the forum.  Congratulations to the July Volunteer of the Month, Marsha (IA) for her outstanding willingness and generosity on the RRCD Project.  And congratulations go to the July Quilter of the Month, Ann (SC), for her outstanding participation on the forum.  Both of these ladies deserve a huge round of applause for helping make the forum and all its activities a huge success.

     Please continue to keep Patty and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

     For those of you that are members of home away from home, thank you.  For those of you that haven't visited/joined yet, please do so by signing up on the forum.  Remember, basic membership is still free and we have so much fun that we want to share it with you!  

by Terry

     There are several new classes beginning this fall, so be sure to check the QPU Web site  to see what's going on.  

     Setting a Quilt On-Point finished last month and there are a few examples in the gallery.

     There has been a lot of interest in the Quilt As You Go Technique class and I am looking forward to teaching that one!  It is scheduled to begin within a few days, so read the class description and see if this is something you're interested in.  In fact, if you are interested, you need to either make a few blocks and dig some out of your UFO pile!

     Other courses in the planning include:

• Adding Cornerstones to Borders

• Binding Basics

• Sparking Your Creativity For Designing Quilts

     Think any of those sound interesting?  If so, be sure to check the forum for details... or if you aren't a member of the forum, please e-mail me and I'll give you the details.

     Are there any classes you would like to see taught?  If so, let me know!

by Terry

     More free patterns, some online quilting classes, a couple of new 12-month projects (as we will be wrapping up the Appliqué Flower Quilt project this month, I hope!), and who knows what else? 

     You just never know what I have up my sleeve! 

   
by Terry

     You should know this by now, but if you have any suggestions, questions, comments, etc., please feel free to contact me and let me know!

by Terry

     Summer is quickly fading and some of you are already preparing for school this fall.  

     Have a great month, everyone!  

Happy quilting,
Terry