Home Sweet Home

It's fun to go visit family and friends (well, mostly fun; more on that later) BUT it's also really great to be back home. And just let me say, that I'm home to stay (for a little while, at least). Our trip to Texas was looooong but oh so worth it. My grandmother seemed to really love her quilt. It was wonderful to spend so much time with her and my mom. My one regret is that I didn't get pictures of my grandmother with the quilt. I'll have get my mom to help me out there!! (Thanks mom, just helping you finish up that film). I wish I could say the trip down and back was uneventful. Oh how I wish I could!! The trip was 17 hours each way. We were within 35 miles of mom's house on the way down when we heard something unusual. We knew right away (because we felt it) that we had a flat tire. You know that feeling? Well, we pulled over and just looked at each other. We were only half a mile from a rest area which had a gas station but I didn't want to drive that far on the rim. So what did we do, you ask?

Well, I'm pretty independent as you can tell from the fact that sweet kid #3 and I were on this long trip by ourselves. I've made the trip several times alone. No sweat! But it's been about 30 years since I've had a flat without my husband being with me. So I call him, like he can help, being 16+ hours away. (Side note - Aren't cell phone just the greatest little things?) He suggests the can of Fix A Flat in the little emergency kit we have. So (for the first time since it happened) we get out of the van to look at the tire and Nope that's not gonna work. It had flat blown in half. But by doggie, (sorry, we were really close to the Texas border) with his wonderful moral support we changed that there tire and were on our way. (Second side note - Don't you just hate those little donuts they call spare tires?) We were right proud of ourselves.

Here's my third(and final) side note - Do you know that the entire time we were on the side of that busy road (I-44 in Oklahoma) not one person stopped to help two females changing a tire. OK, I said I was independent; I didn't say I was a feminist. I would have been more than happy to let some Oklahoma cowboy change that tire for us. But, NOOOOOO not a soul stopped. This little Texas girl (well, maybe not so little) was sorely disappointed in her Oklahoma neighbors.

Getting down off my soapbox and on to the quilting front, I got back to work yesterday on my Orange Crush. The mystery is solved already but sadly I fell behind. So back to my sewing machine I go to sew up half square triangles for step 4. I also had some interesting mail today but since this has gotten long enough you'll just have to wait until tomorrow for that.

Thanks for stopping by. Happy Quilting!!

Secret Project Revealed

People have always said that I am just like my Grandmother. I take that as a compliment. She is a very special lady. She is a strong but loving woman who has always been one of my biggest cheerleaders no matter what I have attempted.

I remember spending time with her and my Grandfather every summer. She was a golfer so while she played golf at the country club we got to swim. I say "was" because she is now 93 and doesn't spend much time on the course anymore. She was actually pretty good. I always love looking at all her trophies she has displayed on shelves in her bedroom. She is still active at her church in north Texas. She is a "class mom" and loved dearly by all. She played the organ there for many years. We had such fun there growing up. She makes the best pecan pie this side of the Mississippi River. In fact, so far I've found, she makes the best pecan pie on either side of the Mississippi!

When my Grandmother turned 90 my mother threw a huge party for her. During the party I collected signatures for a quilt to commemorate the occasion and her life. Unfortunately, it has taken me 3 years to finally get those signatures into a quilt. Fortunately, the quilt is now finished!! This trip to Texas is to deliver the quilt.

I used the "cracker box" square to set off the signatures. The fabrics are an assortment of '30 prints that you can read about here.
















I hope that people will always compare me to my grandmother. In my estimation, you would have to try very hard to top that compliment. I admire and love her deeply. Sorry it took so long, Grandma.

Eleanor Burns

If you ever have the opportunity to see Eleanor Burns with her Victory Quilts show don't miss it. She is a hoot. Her new book Victory Quilts is out and she has put together a fun show that highlights WWI with quilts. Here are a few highlights from the show.

This was just the introduction. You can see a little of the sampler from the book behind her.










As you see, she changed for the show. Behind her another of the quilts from the book.

















Her son, Orion, was a big part of her show. Here they are doing the Victory Polka. He was a lot of fun. He and Cindy, her store manager, ran the booth at the show while she taught classes daily.












She would show up at the lunch break to sign books. I have been wanting her Egg Money Quilts for sometime now so I bought it and had her autograph it for me. This picture, however, was taken Thursday night after the show.









As you can tell, I really had a great time at the quilt show. I took a machine quilting class the final day and had a blast. I'm not sure my machine will be as easy as the Janome 6600 we were sewing on but I'm gonna give it a try.
Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Quilting!

Hand Quilting

The first day of the NQA quilt show I took an all-day class on hand quilting taught by Darlene Christopherson. Her hand quilting is amazing!! Here is a picture of a couple of her quilts that she displayed for teaching. Not the best picture but the work was so good I hated not to show it.

The wonderful thing about an all day class is that you have plenty of time for learning about all the necessary supplies as well as one on one time with Darlene. She spent the morning talking about fabrics, battings, thimbles, needles, threads, marking tools and quilting hoops. She introduced us to wool batting and I am sold! I have always been partial to Warm and Natural. It was the easiest to hand quilt that I had found. The wool batting was like pushing that needle through butter. What a difference.




















She spent the afternoon helping us get the hang of rocking the needle in and out. I never got it!! I hate to admit it but I have always hand quilted without a hoop. Therefore, I have to unlearn as much or more as I need to learn. I know that I could have smaller, more consistent stitches and that my poor, old, arthritic hands would not ache as much if I will re-learn it this way. I will need to find a different thimble. I use Nimble Thimble which is a leather form fitting thimble. What I need in order to get the hang of her method is a metal thimble with a raised ridge on top to hold the needle in place while rocking. She let me borrow her thimble and it was much easier. I can tell it will take mucho practice!!

Thanks for stopping by. Happy Quilting!

On the Road Again

As you are reading this sweet kid #3 and I are wheeling down the road on our way to Texas. We are cruising on down for a quick visit with my mom and grandmother. The visit will be great but after living up north for several years I have gotten quite spoiled to the cooler summer temperatures. This fat, old girl just can't handle those 90 - 100 degree temps any more. I think we will spend most of our time inside.

While I'm away I am going to work on the Coneflower wool penny rug that I started in my class at the NQA quilt show last week. It was taught by Pat Sloan. You need to check out her website and blog. She has been blogging about the quilt show also. She is a wonderful designer of quilt patterns and fabrics. We had so much fun in her class and learned so much about wool. Below is a picture of Pat and me in front of her design Folk Art America. Yes, I did bring the pattern how with me.


















Thanks for stopping by. Happy Quilting!

Mail Call! Coming and Going

Earlier in June, Cheryl from Willowberry Designs had a give-away and I won! The package arrived today and look at all the goodies. The Cute as a Button pattern was what I won but she also included with it a quilt label design all ready for scanning and personalizing; a couple of cards of buttons (very appropriate for "Cute as a Button" winnings, huh?); and some fabrics. Aren't they great!! Thanks so much Cheryl! I think I'll be making this pattern really soon. I know a couple of special little brand new girls who could use quilts.

And look at what I have been busy with today. These little stacks are on their way to Scotland for a postage stamp swap.





There are 35 (actually 36 - one for me to keep) stacks of 1 1/2" squares of 50 different fabrics. I'll be swapping with 35 other quilters from around the world. I have wanted to make a postage stamp quilt and now this will become "Postage Stamps Around the Globe". I'm not sure how big it will be. I might use only what is swapped and have a wall hanging or add to it and make a bed size. I'll have to see what I feel like when I get back all those sweet little squares. Quilting is soooo much fun!!


I also finished the binding on a quilt but haven't taken pictures of it yet. I'll share those later next week. I also still have loads of pictures and stories from the NQA quilt show from last week. Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Quilting!!

Today I thought I would show you some of what came home with me from the NQA Quilt show. It's always so hard to decide what to actually buy. There are always such beautiful fabrics, patterns, kits, threads, notions, ....I could go on and on. As you can see, Lily is taking her job as fabric guard very seriously. Just try to get a smile out of her!


It's quite an assortment of fabric, I know. But I loved them all.




I especially LOVE christmas fabrics. I stick pretty close to the traditional reds and greens. The fat quarter pack did have some pinks but I'll be surprised if they end up in a christmas project.
I'm not sure what I will do with this jelly roll.



I am considering using it with these. Quilt Patis are the brilliant invention of Ohio quilter Pati Shambaugh. They come in various sizes but I bought the 3/4". You can check them out at her website here. I think a contemporary grandmother's flower garden might be fun. There sure wouldn't be much cutting involved!!



























I have loads more to share but will save it for another day. Unfortunately, since sweet kid #3 just returned from 2 weeks of camp, the laundry is calling.
Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Quilting!