It's a Grand Old Flag

I love pictures with flags! This one happens to be my grandfather, I think around 1907. Just guessing by his age. How do you like that outfit? I wouldn't be surprised if he was marching in a parade that day.

 

Wally Winspear, about 1907 

I just was visiting Minick and Simpson's blog and they have a link to Jimmie Cagney dancing his heart out. Honestly, you should go see the video, it is awesome! I remember watching his movies when I was a kid and they had the old movies on late at night. I watched a lot of the old black and whites when I was up babysitting or whatever. Cagney made Oscar winning Yankee Doodle Dandy in 1942. Some of those old movies just can't be beat, even in black and white!

This is my darling granddaughter, Danielle, taken at our house a few years ago. Another flag waver! The quilt behind her is a favorite old pattern from Little Quilts!

Here is a quilt of my own design that McCall's published last summer. It is called American Dreamer and Minick and Simpson designed the fabric. They really do patriotic well! I mentioned once before in a blog post how active they have been in providing quilts for the military and funds as well. They are awesome! I can't tell you how much respect I have for them!

You can help too, just click this link for Quilts of Valor to find out more.

So I just wanted to share a little bit this 4th of July weekend! Hope it is a good one for you and yours!

UFOs, Roswell and Area 51

I brought this cute little project to work on while I am in Arizona. It is the cover project from the book, Remembering Adelia, by Kathleen Tracy.  Such darling projects in this book! I wanted a project to work on by hand, so this one fit the bill. I haven't done any applique for a while so began the preparation by tracing the leaf shape onto freezer paper. I cut out about 10 leaves and pressed them onto the wrong side of the fabric. So far so good. I cut out each shape, leaving a seam allowance. Then I glued the edges over the paper using a glue stick. Whoops. Did I say I glued the edges down? Why yes I did. Wasn't I supposed to starch the edges over? Well, yes I was. Oh no! 

Well, by the time I realized my error I had already sewn several little leaf shapes down. I admit, I wondered why I was having so much trouble forcing the needle through the fabric. Duh!  I soaked each little block in water and gently managed to pull the paper from the slit in the back, and all is well. This does not count as a UFO as I am still working on it!

Now I am backtracking to my Atlanta trip because I haven't mentioned going to one of my very favorite quilt shops:  LITTLE QUILTS!  I have been a Little Quilts fan for years and years, long before they opened the shop. Since my daughter moved to Atlanta I have had the opportunity to visit the shop a few times (actually three). My daughter is unacquainted with the Marietta area, where the shop is located, so we called for directions. Mary Ellen VonHolt, the shop owner, answered and gave Jennie directions. "Look for the Big Chicken on the corner of Roswell Road", she said. We drove back and forth down Marietta Road and somehow we missed seeing the big chicken! I think I was not looking high enough in the air! Seriously, with Roswell on my mind, I felt like we were searching for the illusive Area 51, of UFO fame, which I thought was rather humorous considering how many UFOs I have. Are you getting all this? 

Finally, the Big Chicken hovered over us, so to speak. We turned down Roswell and clapped our hands at the sight of Little Quilts!

So we made it! Of course the shop is wonderful. We arranged to go on a day that Karen was working, so we met again and went to eat together when she was done with work. It was fun to see Karen's own little quilts displayed at the shop along with her patterns! Also, my Williamsburg Medallion pattern that Karen made was displayed right by the front door! 

So that is my final adventure in Atlanta!  Come back again for news from the burning sands of Arizona!

PURCHASING POWER THROUGH PAYPAL, etc

I am excited to announce that I have finally added PayPal to my website! Being fairly computer inept, I needed someone to give me encouragement and walk me through it. Once again Karen, our Sew Primitive gal, came to my rescue. I have already had a few orders, and it works like magic! Just click on a button and you can pay with a credit card and PayPal handles the details. Silly me, I thought it was going to be a big deal! NO BIG DEAL!

Also, if you click over to Karen's blog you can see a beautiful quilt that a customer at Little Quilts made with my Williamsburg Medallion pattern! By the way, Karen has designed some darling punch-needle patterns that she is selling on her website, Folkart Children And if you haven't seen her Primitive Children, you really must take a look. The girl has talent!

Last week my son came for a visit. He is living, working, and going to school in Provo, UT, and doesn't get out to the East Coast very often. It was great having him here. I know he was bored silly at least part of the time, but that is the price you have to pay when you are young and you go visit "old-timers". On Monday he and I drove to Jamestown to see the sights. We visited the museum there, which is quite wonderful. Also, there is a replica of a small Indian village. The first picture, above, shows us inside a hut with a big bear skin hanging on the wall behind us. There were many furs on the walls and sleeping cots. Very authentic!

The ship is a model of the Susan B. Constant, one of the three ships that sailed from England in 1607. They actually came ashore right down the road from where I live. When they found the James River (I am sure the Indians didn't call it that) they sailed up it and established a fort at what later became Jamestown. Both named after King James, of course.

We went on board the ship and walked around. Let me tell you it is so small! Those poor people were on board for four months!!! A year ago my friend, Joan, loaned me a really good book written by one of the descendants of a Jamestown family. The book is Dark Enough to see the Stars in a Jamestown Sky, by Connie Lapallo. I tired to order it from Amazon, but they didn't have it. I was so pleased to be able to find it in one of the gift shops up there. I had to have my own copy! The book tells the story of the women and children and how they survived (or didn't). Very interesting!

So that was my excitement for the week. Next post I promise something quilty. I have been sewing! Until then, have a happy, scrappy day!