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Well that covers it all doesn’t it? I can hardly believe that its been eight years since I started this last journey of weight loss. And it doesn’t seem like its coming to an end anytime soon.

When I am in Haiti or Nairobi, it seems absolutely ludicrous that I or anyone else would spend a minute of time thinking about food. What’s the best food to eat, and at which time? Should certain foods be eliminated and which ones should you eat for the fastest weight loss? I’m telling you, it seems ludicrous. There's just a lot more to life than food and diet. And yet, here I am, home for a week, and this topic looms large in my mind. I can’t help it.

A friend of mine (who has successfully maintained a 100 pound weight loss) recently stated:

“real maintenance is not clutching to weight with white knuckles, but learning to live with the ups and downs that come with it.”

And that seems to be what I am doing right now. I have done the clutching and the white knuckle thing. I have been embarrassed that as a “successful maintainer” I have been not so successful at maintaining the 100 pounds I lost. I have tried to lose some of that weight, and only succeeded in gaining a little bit more. I have eliminated certain food groups, and I have eaten mindfully. I have refined and changed my diet over the years so that now I eat mostly unprocessed food (that’s a good change!) And all that time I observed myself, and made note of what worked for me and what didn’t, sometimes IN SPITE of what the ‘experts’ said. And right now, it seems, I am once again in weight loss mode.

So I guess what I started out to say is that sometimes weight loss is PART of maintaining. That’s just life.

If you'd like to read more of my musings on this subject, click on over to my blog, Debby Weighs In.

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Award-winning Gammill quilting artist, Linda Thielfoldt, gives you tips on how adjust your machine to achieve perfect tension.

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AccuQuilt and the American Heart Association are co-sponsoring this campaign to help support the fight against heart disease.  Here are the details straight from the AccuQuilt site:

Have a Heart, Make a Quilt Campaign FAQs

What is the Have a Heart, Make a Quilt Campaign?

You can help us by coming to AccuQuilt's Omaha headquarters and creating a quilt block (with a heart) in memory or in honor of someone you love. The blocks that are created during the month of February will be used to create one or more quilts that will be on display at the annual Go Red for Women Expo in Omaha this September, and then donated to the American Heart Association to be auctioned at the event.

I live near Omaha, how do I get there and what time should I come?

AccuQuilt's Headquarters are located at 8843 S 137th Circle in Omaha. Stop in and create your block any weekday, Jan. 24 - Feb. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Do I need to call and make a reservation?

If you have a group larger than five, please call 402.934.1110 ahead of time and let us know you are coming and how many.

I don't live in Omaha, how can I participate?

You are welcome to participate even if you don't live in Omaha. Using your own materials and following these guidelines: Fabric must be in the red, pink and/or white color palette with a 6" or 12" finished block size. Blocks must include at least one of the heart shapes on the GO! Hearts-2", 3", 4" (55029) or GO! Queen of Hearts (55325) dies.

You can download the shapes here: GO! Hearts and GO! Queen of Hearts.

Send your block to AccuQuilt no later than March 1, 2013. Mail to AccuQuilt, 8843 S 137th Circle, Omaha, NE 68138. Blocks will not be returned.

Is there a specific block size?

Yes. 6" or 12" finished block sizes.

What fabrics should I use?

If you create your block at AccuQuilt's Headquarters in Omaha, fabric will be provided. If you submit your own block, use any fabrics in a red, pink and/or white color palette.

Are there shape requirements?

Yes. Each block must include at least one heart from the GO! Heart-2", 3", 4" (55029) or GO! Queen of Hearts (55325) dies. If you don't own a GO! fabric cutting system, you can also download the shapes here for use on this project.

You can download the shapes here: GO! Hearts and GO! Queen of Hearts.

Where do I find the block patterns?

We're not requiring use of a specific block pattern however each block must include at least one heart from the GO! Heart-2", 3", 4" (55029) or GO! Queen of Hearts (55325) dies. We are leaving it up to your creativity!

Can I design my own block?

Absolutely! Just incorporate one of the GO! heart shapes, the red, pink and/or white color palette, and finished block size of 6" or 12".

Can I create more than one block?

Yes. You can create more than one block, however, AccuQuilt reserves the right to determine final block choices for finished quilt top layout. Depending on the number of blocks created and the layout of the quilts, we cannot guarantee that every block will be used if someone submits more than one. We will do our best to use as many as we can!

How long does the Have a Heart, Make a Quilt Campaign run?

January 24 - February 28, 2013

Will my block be returned if it's not used within a quilt?

No. By participating in the Have a Heart, Make a Quilt Campaign, you are donating your block to AccuQuilt and the American Heart Association to support the Go Red for Women Expo in September. All blocks submitted will become the property of AccuQuilt and the American Heart Association and will not be returned to their original owner.

How do I contact AccuQuilt with questions?

Please email your question to marketing@accuquilt.com.

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A completely different take on sea life is shown in Toward the sea, "Ready, set, go!" by Hiromi Tanaka of Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan. This enchanting quilt features a mother turtle encouraging the young ones to be on their way. We love how each individual appliquéd turtle has its own personality.

Featured at the IQA Show in Houston 2012. Enjoy Toward the sea, "Ready, set, go!" by Hiromi Tanaka. Who can resist cute little baby turtles?!

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This month, we use the same precision cutting, piecing and pressing techniques we learned last month to make the second set of sashes.  It's not too late to join Sue Nickels and Pat Holly in the fun and learning.  Make it easy on yourself, order a kit and get started right away.

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"Quilts speak to us of our collective and personal history-- hardship, perseverance, caring, the good times and the bad, the work ethic, and creating beauty from scraps of fabric and bits of time." Marsha McCloskey, Wall Quilts, 1983 

Marsha has sent photos of some of her quilts for TQS members to "listen to." You can learn more about Marsha at her website, www.marshamccloskey.com.  You can also see her work her magic in Episode 1203: Achieve "Stellar" Results with Precision Piecing.

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We got a hot tip from Roberta Horton - featured in the TQS Road Trip Episode 213, that there is going to be a wonderful exhibit at the Mountain View Cemetery at 5000 Piedmont Avenue in Oakland, CA.  See if these beautiful displays don't inspire your next quilt.

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This week, Christine shows you how to create the look of milky white opals using just the right fabrics.

Don't forget to submit your latest classroom work and become eligible to win Christine's book and color wheel!

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For four days only, AQS QuiltWeek™ will present more than 50 workshops, lectures and classes from leading, world renowned quilters, designers and authors. Spread across nine curricular areas, beginning and advanced quilters alike will find something to bring their artistry to the next level. Class registration closes on Feb 20th.  Don't miss this fabulous opportunity to learn from the quilting world's best.

Rami Kim                  Pam Holland      Pat Delaney                             Nancy Chong

Eleanor Burns          Kaffe Fassett                    Alex Anderson

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Margo is back with another instructional video to help you complete Month 1 of the 2013 BOM, Two of Us. She shares tips for using freezer paper to paper piece your project.  The great thing about this method is that there is no paper to "rip out."  Margo's videos can be found in her classroom, as well as the BOM area of the website.