KISS Quilts, etc.

We made a quick trip by car (that wasn't the quick part) to Minnesota for one week. Enjoyed seeing family there and eating brats and walleye. Saw signs for many quilt shops along the way. Didn't stop. You know how it is when there is a man behind the wheel. They focus on the road and stop for nothing! Still, I enjoyed seeing the signs and knowing that they are scattered in the highways and byways across the country! 

 

I am still working on a couple big quilts, but have also managed to fit in a few small things.One of the big quilts I made is going to APandQ for an upcoming issue. It had tons of the 9-patches and I always make more than the quilt requires. I ended up using some of the leftovers in this scrappy little quilt above, and also in the one below.

This one was for my grandson's dresser.

 Still playing with scraps, I made this one using 1-1/2" squares. It is 24" x 24". I keep a jar on my cutting table and throw spare 1-1/2" squares into it, so I always have plenty. I cut scraps into larger size squares as well, of course. They all come in very handy. My own pre-cuts! When I was in Arizona I used all my 1-1/2" squares for that big project and now I am starting over! By the way, I call these KISS QUILTS. You know that stands for "Keep it simple stupid". Never a problem for me! They are nice little utility quilts.

The big finale is coming Monday night (8-13) for The Closer on TNT. That has been a favorite show of mine. Really great cast! I hate to see it go. They will marathon previous shows the same day in case you missed any this last season, which I am sure I have. A new spinoff will begin right afterwards called Major Crimes, staring Mary McDonnell (Dancing with Wolves). She is a very different character in this role, but maybe she likes those roles. She is awesome. 

One more show that is fairly new and you can still catch up online on TNT is called Perception. Another show with a quirky main character. I must love those shows, like Castle and The Mentalist and Monk. They are my faves! All detective shows too.

 Let's hear it for Eric McCormack in this one!

Back to the beloved Bernina!

 

Fun to Learn

Many, MANY years ago, when I was a girl I was occasionally on a TV program in Buffalo, NY called Fun to Learn. Jeanne Massing was the host of the show and she was also my Mom's best friend. The program was designed to encourage children to create things from whatever they found around the house. Just the other day my brother Rand sent me this photo. Rand is on the left, me in the middle, Jeanne, and Jack Harmson, Rand's friend, on the right. Crafting was quite simple in those days. We had paste and paper and paint and that was about it. Construction paper was also an important element. Jeanne was definitely ahead of her time in DIY TV!

 Buffalo, NY was also the television home of the Howdy Doody Show and Buffalo Bob. Great TV that! Things have sure changed, but that really was a fun show for kids. Remember Mr. Bluster and the Indian Princess Summer-Fall-Winter-Spring? Yes, I am revealing my age, but only to those who also remember.

I think I am officially an antique!

MY SUNDAY EVENING

Here I am at the computer while my husband watches football and reads a book. He is not really immersed in football, but he doesn't want to miss the good parts, so he reads until he hears the crowd cheer, then he looks up to see what happened. Meanwhile, the TV with the DVR and all my programs are held hostage. Last night I woke up at 3:00AM and came down and watched Castle. Am I really that desperate? No, I just couldn't go back to sleep for a while. 

Castle, by the way, has a great cast, and my favorite is Susan Sullivan. I couldn't place her at first with the red hair, but she is sensational in this role. You may remember her from Dharma and Greg a few years ago, plus a million other things.This role is great for her, as was the Dharma and Greg roll. Plus she looks fabulous!

 

So back to quilts, here  is what I am teaching at the shop this session. Feathered Friends is a 21" table topper. The center is fairly plain, waiting for a centerpiece. As you can see, it is surrounded by pretty birds. I have to say it was inspired by Corry at Dutch Blue who seems to always have pretty birds mingling with the darling things she creates. Please check out her blog. You will love it!

This is a quilt that I made a few years ago and it was a great success as a class, so I thought I would try it again. The classic four-patch on point! I took this quilt off the wall at my son's house when we were there at Christmas with a promise of sending him a replacement while I borrow this back. Yesterday he sent me a photo of a bare wall. He is so impatient!

This final quilt I did not make. Mary Brandt of St. Michael, MN made it for Becky and Travis, pictured above. Becky is our granddaughter--both of us! And we are both quilters. Isn't that great! So the kids got two beautiful quilts from their grandmothers when they got married in October 2009. Aren't they adorable!

That's all for now. I gotta go see if the football game is over and I can catch up on my programs and do some hand stitching.

Later friends...