We're finally into spring but we still have snow in the forecast!! Oh well that's Iowa! Wouldn't live anywhere else!

On the Uniques Techniques site I have added new free "Blocks" and new free projects for you to check out. I hope people will enjoy trying out my shortcut methods of piecing. They make it easy to make projects with small pieces in them but you don't have to handle any really small pieces. This just happens when you join the blocks together.

I now have Boston Blocks / Combination Blocks / Half Square Blocks / and Star Point Blocks on the site. You can see free project patterns for making a bookmark / a checkbook cover / and a hot pad. These are things I make and sell to a local gift shop among other things. I am going to be adding the Kansas Dugout Block made my way of course along with a tote bag pattern( all free!!) in June. So check out my teaching site at www.Uniquetechniquesforquilters.com .

On the online store at www.patchworkbyrhonda.com I am adding new Star Point gift items such as Hotpads and Coin purses and Bookmarks etc.

In the works is a new link for a SWAP SHOP. This is a place for quilters to find free quilt items or exchange free quilt related items with someone. Everything will be free. The only thing you will have to do is pay the shipping costs.

I don't know about you but I find I have a lot of fabrics either given to me or I pick up and then don't want. I would like to set up a place to make these items available to someone who quilts but doesn't have a lot of money to invest in quilting. Or any one else who's interested is welcome to swap also! I hope there are others out there that are willing to help out other quilters for free. It is a great satisfaction to me to help others so they can enjoy the love of quilting no matter what they can or can't afford. It's a great way to clean out those things you don't want or need anymore too!!

So as soon as I get the page set up I hope you will consider joining in the fun of swapping quilt items and maybe even ideas!

Pattern for a Checkbook Cover

Hi from Iowa. We are in the middle of "enjoying" a snow system! As for me I can't wait for spring and warm weather! At least we haven't had any power outtages this winter. Last winter we were out of power for almost a week! The worst part was I couldn't use my sewing machine! I was lost for what to do with myself! Oh well we do live in Iowa after all!

I have added a new project pattern to the Unique Techniques project page along with a new "block" to make the checkbook cover project . Check out the pattern and learn to make a "block" with my new piecing method.

Traditionally quilters cut out squares or triangles and then sew them together. With my method cut out swatches and sew them together and then cut out a square from the center. The "block" will have squares or triangles already joined together in the center of the square you just cut out. This makes it easy to make dramatic miniature looking blocks without handling anything really small. Take a look at the pattern and see what you think! I think it makes piecing faster and easier and makes it possible to make designs I wouldn't otherwise be able to do. I have a lot more "block" shorcuts and will be adding more over the next months.

On my other site -- www.patchworkbyrhonda.com I have added a lot of new quilt blocks on the Quilt Blocks page. You can choose a quilt block and then special order the product (hotpad/tote bag/ checkbook cover/coin purse etc) and the colors you want. Check it out! I am in the process of adding a lot more so check back often and if nothing else I hope you enjoy window shopping! Maybe it will spark a new idea for someone. That's what I do! I'm always on the lookout for new ideas for my products.

Now is a good time to enjoy a quilting moment or two. If you don't have time to quilt I hope you at least find time to window shop through a picture or two! God Bless and keep you! Rhonda

Soon we'll be writing 2008 on our checks and other things. It always seems so strange for awhile til I get used to seeing the new year in print. Hope everyone had a great Christmas! We enjoyed our one day a year when we get everyone in one place. With busy schedules we don't all find the time to get together except at Christmas. There are 20 in my family now so it is a miracle that everyone makes it. I'm an only child so this is a source of great joy for me! So we take advantage to take pictures of each family and one of all the grandkids.

God has been good to us this past year. My husband has just recently gotten his first computer and he has been trying to make sense of it! We've been busy digging out from all the snow and ice we've had over the last month or so. We live in Iowa and we all know that this is par for the course if you live in Iowa! I still don't like the ice anyway!

I have opened a new site www.patchworkbyrhonda.com that has allowed me to seperate my store from the teaching part of my site. I am enjoying setting it up and getting things in order so I can share more of my love of quilting with everyone! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! We have lots of new items for you to check out. If you like the free project then take a look at the free quilt blocks on this site and then look at the new site to see what is available using the same techniques that I show on this site.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. We had a good time with most of our family around the dinner table. Our twin grandsons Daymon and Devon turned four Friday so we had a birthday cake after our Thanksgiving dinner and enjoyed watching them open their gifts.They're growing up so fast! They're in preschool now and they're so much fun! We have nine grandchildren from 19 to 4. You can see a picture of the twins below.

I spend almost every weekend having one or two grandkids. Of course the three oldest ones are teenagers and I don't get to see them very often any more. One of my grandsons is 6 almost 7 and he has autism. I have a background in day care and early childhood education so my daughter ( his mom) who also has an early childhood education background spend a lot of time working with Zach. He's doing so great now. He's in 1st grade and with the help of a teacher's aide he participates in the everyday activities. This is amazing to us because he didn't learn to talk til he was 4 and he couldn't sit still or stop spinning and running away. He has come so far! He has developed a sense of humor and he makes us laugh all the time! As you can tell I love spending time with my grandkids!

The rest of the time I am usually found working on an order. I sell quilt gift items to a local gift store. I have been selling to her for 9 years now. If you are ever in the area you can see my stuff at Yoder's Antiques and Gift shop in Kalona, Iowa. I'm happy to say it moves quite well. She keeps me busy refilling the shelves. Check out the new Photo page I just added. I decided to share with you some of my favorite items that I have taken to Kalona over the last year. I sometimes am tempted to keep one or two things but I never do. I have given some as gifts to my family at times. My mom carries one of my checkbook covers and shows it to people. However I don't have one on my own checkbook!It's kind of like the cobbler's children went barefoot! I never keep any of the product for myself! I hope to get far enough ahead this winter to be able to add some of the items for sale on my site. But that has to wait til I have time to get ahead and not behind.

Hope you have a good time decorating for Christmas. My family think I am nuts but I've decided I don't want to put up a big tree this year. I collect a lot of angels , reindeer and sleighs, bells of all kinds, and a lot of other stuff so this year I'm going to enjoy all the collections I have and not spend my time putting a large tree together. I do it all by myself now because my husband is handicapped and all my kids are grown and have their own families. I love decorating for Christmas it's fun to see all the things I've forgotten I even had! Or enjoying the things I've picked up over the year. My mom and my husband and I love the "junk" shops like Goodwill and Salvation Army and the second hand stores. It's a great place to find things to add to our collections. Hope you have a good time shopping for Christmas and if you get stressed out just think about the next great quilt project you are going to work on and enjoy the thought of the beauty you will be able to share with your quilting talents. Until next time......Rhonda

Daymon Allen is in the back and Devon Robert is in front.Our twin grandsons are now a proud 4 years old! They are busy all the time! Daymon loves cars and Devon is a spiderman fan. They are fraternal twins. They couldn't be more differant. They have a strong bond but they are definitely individuals. They will usually make opposite choices in things.

New Quilting Swap Shop Coming Soon!

Pattern for a Checkbook Cover