Salutations From The Editor’s Desk

By now everyone knows that the infamous groundhogs all around the world have predicted an early spring. With all the freezing temps across the U.S., it can't come too soon. Good time to stay in and quilt up a storm. Get some of those UFO's crossed off the list. Start a new project. Use some bright, springtime fabrics to chase away the winter blues. Whatever you choose to do, have a good time with it. Spring is right around the corner.
We hope you all had a Happy Valentines Day
Sioux

Channel Chatter!

Special Chats

Weekly Block Challenge

Come join Dulciquilt on Thursday from 7 - 8pm EST for a weekly block challenge. Each week you will get a different theme and the challenge is to design a block around that theme. You don't have to make the block, just get your creative juices flowing. A yahoo group has been set up at http://groups/yahoo.com/qcweeklychallenge/ for pictures or just to verify something or discuss at a time other that Thursday's slot. I also have the information on my domain site: http://dulciquilt.com/weeklychallenge.html Let me know if you need more info at dulciquilt@quiltchat.com

UFO Hour
On Sundays from 4 - 5pm come meet with Swooze and Ozicutsnake and talk about your UFO's. Swooze and Ozicutsnake will be providing a forum on yahoo in order to keep you gals motivated on finishing your UFO's. For more information contact swooze@quiltchat.com to find out how to become a member of quiltchat ufos!

Fun with Flannel

Ninepatch dares you to face your flannel fears and join her every Sunday afternoon at 3pm EST. for "Fun with Flannel"

Feedsack Frenzy

Come join Ninepatch and Bearpaw on Thursday from 8 - 9pm EST. for "Feedsack Frenzy". Projects will be discussed focusing on using 30's repro. Fabrics.

MIRC Help

Need help or want to learn new tricks? Join Lorraine from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm every Sunday evening!

Accolades

Please help us to recognize any of our quilters who have made an outstanding contribution to the quilting world or in their local community by submitting a article about their contribution for us to publish here.

Recipes From Our Chatters

Another recipe from our Busybee

Italian Chicken

1 3 1/2 lb chicken cut into eights
1/2 cup flour
1/2 to 1/3 cup oil
6 - 8 stalks of celery, diced
1/4 lbs fresh mushrooms or 2 cans
2 medium onions, sliced
1 green pepper, diced
1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 1/2 heaping Tbsp. minced)
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 can diced garlic tomatoes
Fresh cracked pepper

Rinse chicken and remove excess fat, and dry

Coat chicken in flour. In a skillet, heat the oil and brown the chicken on all sides. Remove chicken and place in a roasting pan.

Preheat oven to 350

Sautee vegetables in remaining oil until tender-crisp. Add tomato sauce, seasonings, garlic, and tomato paste. Pour over chicken. Bake covered 1 1/2 to 2 hours

Patterns, Pointers, And People

POINTERS

Here are a few good sites from our chatters:

http://www.quilt.com/HowTo/MachineQuiltingHowTo.html

This is your place to buy and sell all things homemade.

http://www.etsy.com

Links

Here are some web sites that you might like or can be helpful

A chatter gave us some web sites for making quilts for sick children and preemies.

http://www.quiltingangels.org/index.html

http://www.quiltingangels.org/quiltlets.html

Below are a couple of sites that will search hundreds of quilt shops at one time for you. You just type in the kind of fabric you are looking for and it will let you know if any of those quilt shops carry it.

http://www.quiltshops.com

http://www.fabrics.net

http://www.missingfabrics.com

People

It s All In A Name

This is a new addition to our newsletter. I will try to get two volunteers a month to tell us how they got their nick name. This month we have LaughingRain, and Mamacrafty.
Here are their stories.

It's All In A Name

Mama crafty

How did I get my name?? Well, it all started when I signed up for AOL years ago. It asked for a screen name. I was wracking my brain (go ahead and say it, I know what you're thinking...rofl) All the cool names I entered were already taken. Was I so bummed. Then after numerous tries I gave up and let it do a suggestion for me. So I entered: mama, hobbies, sewing, crafty, and out popped Mamacrafty as a suggestion. So that was my AOL screen name. I was so tired of trying for a screen name, that I was happy. I finally had a name that no one had. Back then you were limited on the numbers of letters your screen name contained. Then I started using that name as other email addresses, and finally into my business practices. People were walking around the hospital with a "Mamacrafty" tag on the back of their scrubs!~! ROFL. At times when qultchat friends call and say "Is Mamacrafty home"?...I have to chuckle. Just thinking about all the hoopla I had to go through for that silly name.

Laughing Rain

One night as I lay sleeping I had a dream. I felt a golden glow of peace and tranquility. Silver rain began to fall. As it struck the ground chimes began to ring like laughter. When it came time for me to select a name for a nick I thought I would use that name I had been given in that dream. I was able to use the name I had long felt was mine.
Quilting forever
Laughing Rain

Birthdays

February

GrannieQ 2/19

March

Damia 3/2
Busybee 3/11

Merrybee 3/19
Scooter 3/24

Please wish them all a Happy Birthday

Remembrance

On a sad note one of our long time friends and chatters Sassi has passed away on or around February 7th. She was a lovely person and very interested in all things related to QuiltChat and will be sadly missed.

Stress Relievers, Sources And Swaps

Swaps

Post Card Swap

Fabric Postcard swap. A 4 x 6 work of art. Get out your scraps, specialty fabrics and embellishments and challenge your self to explore new techniques in creating 4 X 6 works of art. It is an awesome way fro anyone to express their creativity. More details are on the swap page section of the quiltchat web page. Please register for the swap by contacting busybee@quiltchat.com Resigstration closes Feb 15.

Spring Quiltchat Challenge 2007

Its time for a new challenge, pull out your Ugliest Fabric and join in the fun. To register for the challenge contact iowegian at tdubya@wctatel.net by midnight Feb 28, 2007 For more details on the swap visit the quiltchat web page and look under the Challenge button.

Spring Wallhanging Swap

Names have been paired off for the annual Spring Wallhanging swap. Make a lovely spring themed wallhanging and send it and some goodies to your swapper. This is always a good one. Contact Michele for more info. michele@quiltchat.com

Sources

We remind you that YOU are important to us. You are invited to share your thoughts and ideas with the #quiltchat staff... If you have anything you think we can improve on, or something new you'd like to see, something old you'd like brought back, or even a complaint, please e mail our suggestion box at ideas@quiltchat.com All emails will be kept confidential.

Thank you

Quiltchat Reminders

· All chat times are Eastern Standard time

· Please contact us with any submissions, articles, or photographs you wish to submit for publication.