TUTORIALS

Recently there have been some very nice tutorials on some of the quilt blogs that I visit. I started to bookmark them, and then it occurred to me that I could add links to some of them on my sidebar, and so, after asking permission from the author/blogger, I did add a few. Each one teaches a method or project that you may find helpful. These ladies have gone to a lot of trouble to photograph and detail each step in their tutorial. If you want to see the rest of their blog simply go to their address at the top of the screen and delete everything after .com, and hit enter. In the case of Tonya's blog, she has so many tutorials that she has a whole list of them on her sidebar, so I just linked her whole blog and you can go look at her sidebar for great stuff to try! I do think that is an excellent idea to put links on your blog to the tutorials that you have written. Sometimes we might miss them or want to find them again and that makes it easy. Just a thought.

I am constantly amazed at all the talent out there in blogland and so grateful that I found you all and can benefit from what you share. Really, there is way too much for any one person to keep up with, but I do what I can.

There are at least three blogs or websites that I still would like to put on my sidebar. Most everyone knows these sites. Be sure to check their sidebars also for other links.

1. Judy Laquidara's blog, with her wonderful creative designs that she offers in the form of free monthly stash busting patterns. Plus, she has a new book out!!!

2. Mary Johnson's blog will direct you to her website with her instructions for Heartstring Quilts for charity, and more!

3. Bonnie Hunter's website which is filled with tons of patterns and instructions for scrap quilts, plus lots of other information and inspiration. Bonnie is actually the original Quilt Goddess and the rest of us are mere mortals. If you haven't been to her site, prepare to be amazed!

I am sure I missed some tutorials, and will continue to add links as I find them. In the meantime, go to my sidebar and look for links to Tonya's blog, Tracey's blog, Judy's blog, Lucy's blog and Patti's blog. Good thing it's a long weekend!

Oh, I also added a link at Patchalot Patterns for two small projects. Enjoy!

BACK TO SCHOOL WITH THE GOLDEN RULE

Remember that first day back to school when you were a kid? My Mom always took a picture. Here we are all lined up waiting for the school bus. I am the one right in the middle. Look at all those cute little skirts and white socks and strapped shoes. We were required to wear skirts all the years that I went to school, through college! I remember that when the weather was cold I was able to wear leggings or corduroy pants under my skirt. I was supposed to take them off in the cloak room before school started. Often I left them on during school, and my teacher never said anything. My Mom always did though. She was always after me to behave like a lady. I must have been a real challenge for her.

School lunches were a quarter back then, but we always packed a lunch. We couldn't afford to buy lunch every day! We couldn't afford Wonder Bread either, and that was what they advertised on TV all the time. On those rare occasions when we got to have Wonder Bread it was so soft and squishy and it seemed to melt in our mouths. That was a real treat, and we loved it!

We had a brand new school to go to when I started first grade. I suppose that was to accommodate all the Baby Boomers that were just beginning to impact our country. (Now I believe we will see a huge increase in nursing homes and assisted living facilities rising up!) Our elementary school had it all! We had a beautiful auditorium, a gymnasium, a swimming pool, music, art, the works! We had wonderful teachers and received a good education. In short, we were very blessed. We were also taught by parents who grew up during the Depression, to be grateful for what we had.

Every classroom had an American Flag displayed in it. With our hand over our heart, we said the Pledge of Allegiance each morning. No one taught us about saying things that were "politically correct", but we were taught to be polite. We were taught to respect those who were different from us in race, religion or culture. We were taught that the Golden Rule was applicable in every situation. I believe that these principles will never grow old. Obviously there were problems in the world then, just as there are now. We may not be able to change the world, but each of us has a sphere of influence. As parents and grandparents we need to take this responsibility in hand and make sure to teach our children and grandchildren that kindness matters. The beginning of a new school year is a good time to reinforce this. There is nothing political about this. It is just good sense!

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you! Pass it on...

EVOLUTION

Children of this young generation travel differently than those that preceded them. They are securely belted in. They wear head phones and a glazed over look, with mouth dropped open as they stare at the screen on the seat back in front of them.

When I was a child, we counted cows when traveling. We counted cars on a train as it passed. We counted licence plates from how many different states. We sang about bottles of beer on a wall. Logically, I should excel in math as a result of this. Unfortunately not.

When I was a child there were no seat belt laws. In fact, there were no seat belts! I remember my little brother's head shattering the windshield of the car once, after the slamming of brakes. My parents exclaimed, "Oh, you really have a hard head!" Now I see that it was their way of diffusing the situation. At the time though, I thought "I bet I coulda done that!" It was so cool! Yes, things have changed. Some things are better, some not so much. For example, cars back then had fenders actually made of steel, as compared to the styrofoam bumpers of today. We may not have been belted in, but we were in vehicles that were quite substantial, and I think offered more protection.

Ah well. Things change, that is life. Recently the little Plumpkin, above, was sitting at the computer tapping away. Her brother told her to get away from the computer. She replied, "I can't, I'm checking my email!" And so it begins: one granddaughter goes off to college and the youngest moves into her place at the computer. The evolution of life. Ya gotta love it!

TIME TO UNWIND

Thanks everybody for your nice comments on my applique design. It is always good to know that there are a few people out there who like what I am doing. Usually I spend so much time admiring what everyone else is doing that I have "failure to launch." (Did you see that movie? It was cute!) In other words, I don't get my own projects off the ground. Today I actually got the instructions written! Woohoo! I still need to perfect the illustrations, but it is coming along.

The photo here on the left is of my son and a quilt I made him a couple years ago. It is from Open A Can of Worms, by Debbie Caffrey. That might be my all time favorite book. I have made more quilts out of that book than any other. They are good basic scrap quilts. Great directions, etc.

The reason it came to mind is all the talk about orphan blocks made me think of the back of the quilt. I got a number of uglier than sin blocks in an exchange, and rather than make them into a quilt I used them on the back of the quilt. After I sewed them together with alternating plain squares I started to like them. Fabric is funny that way. You can't look at it too closely, you just have to look at what it does. Well, it was too late for those blocks to become anything but a quilt back. I was anxious to get the quilt done so I did not alter my plan. However, since that time I have had the urge to make those blocks again into a real quilt of its own. Some day maybe I will even do it!

I also got several comments on the books I recommended in my last entry. Wow, I never knew there were so many sicko grandmothers out there in the quilt world! Somehow I feel so much more at home amongst you. I was thinking it was only Kim. (Watch the comment box to see me get slapped upside the head!) Kim cracks me up, but she isn't a grandmother so she is still wound a little tight. Do I think grandmothers are wound less tight? Yes, I do. I think when your kids are gone you can take a deep breath, relax, and unwind. This is really not a reflection on Kim's son, or anyone else's. More a reflection on my own! Look at the young man in that picture. He looks so sweet and innocent, doesn't he? He almost single handedly took the whole family down. I am happy to report that he came to his senses just in time. Happily, that is all in the past, and I never want to wind up like that again. Matter of fact, maybe that is why my life proceeds at such a leisurely pace. Remember that song "Up a Lazy River"? Just the pace of that song says it all!

I started to recommend another book and got a bit side tracked. I just finished Jeffery Deaver's The Sleeping Doll. Another thriller with some great twists in the story. Sickos rejoice-there are always more crime novels than we could ever read!

CHRISTMAS APPLIQUE

Here is my latest project! Remember I mentioned scheduling a class when I had not made the quilt yet? Well, this is it. The center design is from a vintage quilt that caught my fancy, then I added a sawtooth border. I really loved the cheddar in the original and was excited to have the perfect color, thanks to Judie Rothermel's wonderful reproduction lines. The outer border is from Judie's latest Christmas line. There is no cheddar in the fabric, but it looks as though there is a hint and it brings the whole thing together. Next time you are in your LQS take a look at this fabric and see if you agree. This piece is hand appliqued. I kind of got hooked on that after the Home Sweet Home quilt. I am doing another by machine applique because the class I am teaching is at the Bernina shop, A Different Touch, here in town. By the way, the background isn't as white as it appears here. More the color of muslin.

I am still sewing in the DR because I am still without AC in my sewing room and office. I can sit here in the office for short periods of time, but sewing is another story. At this point my repairman is probably afraid to face me. He claims he went to California (3 weeks ago!) and forgot his cell phone. What are the chances?

Meanwhile, I finished a couple of good murder mysteries, An Unquiet Grave, and A Thousand Bones, written by two women who collaborate and write under the name P. J. Parrish. My husband enjoyed them also.

A NEW HOUSE

I have been a bad blogger. I can't keep up with the posting and the reading of other blogs. I want to, I just seem to be swamped. So if I haven't visited you for a while, it is not from lack of interest, it is lack of time. That and the heat. Our AC went out in this zone of the house, the zone where I sew and where my computer is. It is 100 degrees outside and about 90 degrees in here. I took my sewing machine upstairs to the dining room. We have coolness up there! I have been getting some sewing done, so I am pleased about that! OK, OK, pictures to come!


This is what a starter home looked like in 1950.
I posted this picture on my Dad's blog to go along with a story he was telling. It is a snapshot of our first house in a suburb of Buffalo, New York. I grew up in this house. NOBODY had air conditioning back then!

When I was 4 years old, back in 1950, my family moved from a one bedroom apartment to this newly constructed house in a newly constructed neighborhood. America was rebounding after WWII and my Dad got a GI loan to buy a new house. The house had two small bedrooms on the main floor, along with a bathroom, kitchen, and living room. There was a full basement with a washing machine. Mom hung all our clothes outside on a clothesline. The second floor was unfinished. My Dad finished the upstairs and made two big bedrooms with a small bathroom in the center. He had to raise the roof in the back of the house to do that. He also added a garage on the side, and a vestibule on the front. This was done over several years. My Mom always had ideas and my Dad fulfilled her every dream. She had him knock a hole in the wall between the kitchen and the living room so there was a big window pass-through. Then bar stools were added to the LR side. This really helped open up those two small rooms. See where the front door is in the photo? Mom had Dad knock a hole in the wall next to that door that went into the bedroom. That gave two entries into the room that became the dining room. Our little house changed dramatically over the years.

My Mom was quite a gardener. She and my Dad created a wonderful yard for us to play in. The picture is of my sister and me playing dolls. I was quite a tom boy, so this didn't happen too often. I would have rather been playing baseball in the street with the boys. I would like the photo better if we were sitting on a quilt, but I am pretty sure that it was an army blanket. Everyone had spare army blankets in those days. Sturdy wool things they were too.
That little willow tree started out as a branch from a tree in my grandmother's yard. It grew to be enormous. I went back there to visit a few years ago and one of our neighbors still lived in the house next door. He was cursing that tree for all the branches it lost in every rain storm. We loved it though, as kids. We could climb it and hide in the low hanging branches. Back in those days, when it was hot, people spent as much time outside as they could. Inside was not cooler. Dad put in a patio and got a grill and he cooked outside almost every night. (I wonder if he remembers it that way?) My Dad made the best hamburgers!

BRIGHT IDEAS

Have you ever scheduled a class to teach and you haven't made the quilt yet? Well that is what I did yesterday. I fiddled around with a new design last week and got all excited and went and scheduled it. I sure hope it looks as good in fabric as it does in my mind. Luckily my mind is assisted greatly by EQ6. I never was one to color in squares on graph paper, so EQ saves my life. While I was dreaming up projects, I went back into my EQ5 program to see what wonderful things I had left behind. I spent most of Monday clicking and clacking at the computer, changing the design a little here and then a little there. I made some blocks and then went back to the drawing board. I have an overall idea of what I am doing, I just keep fiddling to get it where I want it. Yesterday I went to buy fabric for these two projects. They are both going to use Judie Rothermel's new Christmas fabric. At least that will be the base, with a bunch of stash thrown in. I have a difficult time buying all my fabric for a quilt in one stop. I really am a stash quilter at heart. I can audition fabric all day to find the right look, but I go into a shop and am overwhelmed with the bigness of the bolts. I buy a little of this and a little of that, then take it home and throw it in the stash and it might be years before it comes out in just the right place. At the same time, some of the purchases never do surface and find their perfect place. I know, I should be doing string quilts, etc. And really, I want to. But I might need one of those pieces in the future when that color or texture can't be found anywhere but in the bottom of the box.

My daughter was here last week and we ran around and hit a few quilt shops. She likes the really cute brights with boats and bugs and bumblebees. There is a shop a few blocks from where I live that is strictly brights. It is a great little shop, if you are into the bright fabric. She is, I am not. The shop that I frequent the most specializes in CW repros and folk art and is on the other side of town. Figures, doesn't it?
This photo is my daughter and a quilt she made with my help a couple years ago. I was totally lost working in these wild colors, but in the end, it turned out really cute. Isn't funny how awkward we feel when we are out of our element? She left me with another wild one to finish up and get quilted for her. My kids still think that my life revolves around them. OK, OK it does. I just really need my own time and space on occasion. I intend to spend the rest of the day in my sewing room working on my own new ideas. Here's hoping...

For those of you who are interested in my Dad's stories, he posted a couple more. Click on his blog on the side bar. He thinks it is funny that anyone is interested. Leave a comment, or just say hi. He enjoys that.

MY HAPPY PLACE

Remember those 9-patches I was making a while back? Well they finally turned into something! Look, a quilt top! I have been planning to make this quilt for the longest time. I saw it in a Quilt It magazine that featured Nine-Patch Favorites. There is no date on the magazine, but I found an ad in it for a 2003 quilt show. So there you go--it takes me a while to do things! I am very pleased to finally have this UFO done to the point where it can be quilted. There are actually several other 9-patch quilts in that book that I would love to make. But not quite yet. I have patterns to create and instructions to write that I have put off for far too long. One thing at a time...at least I am seeing some progress.

I happened to see My Happy Place quilt while cruising through photos the other day, so I popped it onto my sidebar. I thought it would brighten up the place. It is a pattern I designed about a year ago that incorporated a few orphan blocks that I had. Finn has everyone all psyched on orphan block quilts, and it is so much fun to see what people are creating. You have probably seen her new blog, http://orphantrainsfromfinn.blogspot.com/ but if you haven't been there, you need to check it out. Fun stuff!

Last week I mentioned that my Dad was coming to visit, but that is not going to happen now. He became ill a week ago and went into the hospital in Minnesota and ended up with three stints going into his heart. He feels much better now. They have him on oxygen, and he decided that it was too much of a pain to try and come here and have to transfer planes, etc. I agree, especially in light of the problems that can develop while trying to catch a plane, etc. It seems like everyone is having trouble with the airlines these days. So hopefully he will be able to come here in the fall. I am just glad he is feeling better! In the meantime, my daughter, who lives in Atlanta, is coming for a week! She arrives tomorrow, and I am excited about that. I know she hopes to make a baby quilt for her friend while she is here. Lets see what we come up with! For now, I am headed to bed to read for a while. I am half way through Harvesting the Heart, by Jody Picault. She writes good stuff!

BASKET CASE

You may have noticed that I changed my blog layout and photo. It still isn't exactly what I would like, but the new format is so much easier to manipulate that I have to fight the temptation to go in and play around. I want to put a quilt background and header on it. It is too far advanced for me at this point. If you happened to stop by last night while I was messing around, you may have noticed that my dad's picture showed up in my profile shot. That was weird. I was attempting to set up another blog for him to use for drafting, since he sometimes gets behind the wheel and loses everything he has written. Google asked if I had an account and I answered "yes". So then our two blogs became intermingled. Apparently I need to answer NO and start from scratch. Yes, I am a basket case--but I keep trying! Anyway folks, it is still me! Have a great weekend!

PILLOWS AND PROJECTILES

My little group of three decided to make this cute little wool pillow. It is from the Blackbird Design's book, Birds of a Feather, and they call it Berry Hill Pillow. We all like to have something to do with our hands in the evening. When I finished that, I went looking for another project and came up with this embroidery project. It is also BB Designs, from their new book, Simply Vintage. It is a pattern for rug hooking, but I adapted it into a stitchery project. I love those hooked rugs, but haven't tried that yet. I am afraid of getting into yet another thing I will love to do and then have to spend lots of money to do. So for now, floss is cheap, and I have lots of fabric I need to use, so I will stick with quilts. Yeah, I am doing a little wool applique also, but so far I haven't gotten into the deep end with that.

I thought I might give a word of warning to anyone out there that is thinking about getting their child or grandchild a water balloon launcher. It sounds like such innocent fun, doesn't it? Well, on the 4th of July my daughter-in-law took the kids to a celebration at the church and got hit in the face with a water balloon that was launched from across the parking lot. She thought, at first, that her nose was broken. Luckily, that was not the case. However, her face puffed up and she got two big black eyes. She was hurting! We were so worried about her because she has had eye surgery a couple of times to correct other problems. Fortunately, her doctor said her eyes look fine (after a 2 hour exam). She is a good sport about it all, and recognizes that it was an accident. Really though, do water balloons need to become weapons?

AN ORPHAN FOR CHRISTMAS

Sounds like Little Orphan Annie, doesn't it? Actually, as you can see, I put a little pieced border around my Christmas orphans that I showed in an earlier post. (Enough with the Christmas orphans already).

These little blocks all paired up so cute together. Isn't it amazing what you can do with stuff that has just been kicking around for ages. Finn mentioned a couple of quilts that the ladies at Country Threads did several years ago. They were fabulous. They had lots of orphan blocks and created full size beauties. I have been looking for my book, but it is buried somewhere.

If you haven't been to Finn's Orphan Train Blog, you must check it out. She was kind enough to feature a couple of my quilts in her recent post. Go see what other bloggers, including Finn, have come up with. As for me, I gonna keep digging---I know I have more orphan blocks that need a home.

PATRIOTIC MONTH

July is really Patriotic Month, isn't it? So I just thought I would post this funny photo of my dad. It is an old and damaged photo, but still worth keeping. This was in about 1944 and my dad was a Navy pilot, and goofing around as usual. He may not have been instrumental in winning the war, but you could count on him for keeping up the morale of the troops. My dad really hasn't changed a bit. Oh he is older, but he still behaves the same way. Where ever my dad is, there is a party going on, and he is the entertainment! Everyone loves my dad, including me!

Aside from his sense of humor and his ability to entertain, he also is the man to turn to if you are looking for advice and need someone to talk to that has a common sense outlook. You wouldn't think the two qualities would go hand in hand, but in my dad they do.

My dad is full of stories and jokes. He likes to make people laugh, and he is the biggest softy in the world. He tears up over sweet stories, and fond farewells. In fact, if he is reading this now he has probably got tears running down his face.

Dad moved to Arizona last fall and at 84 he has adjusted amazingly well. This summer he is visiting in Minnesota for a few weeks, then he will be coming to stay here for a couple weeks. While he is here I will not be at the computer as much as I am now. I know he will be using it to e-mail old friends and write on his blog. He loves to write about the experiences he has had in his lifetime and so I convinced him that a blog was the perfect place to share those things with his family and friends. He writes his story and then I try to find a picture to post with it.
This second photo was taken last Christmas. I am sure you recognize my granddaughter by now, also in the picture. That was her Christmas morning outfit. Kids are nuts. Oh well, enough jabbering. I just wanted to share that cute picture of my dear dad!



***Addendum: If you want to visit my dad's blog he is at http://theazpenguin.blogspot.com

COWBOY QUILT

Finally I can say I have taken charge of a project and completed it! Well, I still need to get it quilted, but my work is done! I keep saying I should learn how to machine quilt, but my hands are full with the piecing, and frankly, I would rather pay someone to do it. Only problem is that my quilter friend has taken the summer off! Hopefully I can get in line for when she gets going again.
This is a baby quilt for my niece's new baby boy that she, in fact, named after my husband! I'd say that deserves a quilt, wouldn't you? The funny thing is, he even looks kind of like my husband. That Swedish blood runs strong, judging from the looks of many family members.
The baby room is being decorated in a cowboy theme, so I went on line looking for cowboy fabric. Oh my goodness! There is a shop in Montana that has all the cowboy fabric one could ever desire! I has so many choices. I ended up buying a yard and a half of two different fabrics. Both darling! The rest of the fabrics I could pull from my stash-which is what it is for, after all! The blocks are 5" finished, and the quilt measures about 37" x 43".



Take a look at how cute this fabric is!
I decided to create a back for the quilt where I could use up every little piece of the fabric that was left.
Well, I feel good having completed that, and now I can move onto some of my other projects that lie incompleted or in progress around the house.

FAMILY 4TH AND FUN QUILTS

My husband asked me yesterday, "Wouldn't you like to adopt a little girl?" He misses having children around. He forgets how crazy they make him sometimes. He only remembers the good times and the joy and happiness that children bring. That's nice, isn't it? We live so far from our grandchildren. But no, I don't want to adopt. Now I just like to visit!

When we lived in Minnesota we lived on a lake and everyone has wonderful memories of the lake and all the fun they had. The 4th of July was always a big event, with all our family coming. Lots of food, and fun. Just being together and relaxing and watching the kids play. When the kids were little I always dressed them up in red white and blue outfits for the 4th. We always had Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Bars, the kind with chocolate on top. One year my sister-in-law formed the mixture into a huge map of the U.S. and stuck little American flags into the places where family lived all over the country. It was really neat! (I have a pictures somewhere!) What I really need is a hologram of kids splashing and jumping off the dock. Somebody needs to invent that!

These pictures are both of my oldest granddaughter and fun quilts we did together a couple years ago. She is the one who just graduated and is going off to college next fall. The first picture shows a long quilt that she wanted for a certain location in her room. If you can believe it, these were all 5 inch orphan blocks, including the chain blocks from a discontinued project.

The second quilt is also orphan blocks. I never actually finished this one. Maybe this one needs to resurface and get quilted. Kind of fun, don't you think?

BLOGS AND BLOCKS

My husband has been gone on a business trip this week and I thought I would get so much done! Where does the time go? I can't catch up on the projects that I posted about before I left for Minnesota. I have been home for two weeks and I feel like I am spinning my wheels. I need some time to spend finishing some stuff. I haven't even read all the blogs on my bloglines. I feel bad about that. When I got home my bloglines said I had over 600 entries to catch up. Now it says 400.

It would help if Kim at http://kimsbigquiltingadventure.blogspot.com/ didn't write every day. But she just can't shut up! And I want to read all her funny stories.

Then there is Mary at http://maryquilts.blogspot.com/ who not only blogs every day, but also completes an amazing amount of fabulous quilts, and now is providing instructions for them!

Darlene at http://quiltingdaze.blogspot.com/ and May Britt at http://abyquilt.blogspot.com/ always have darling projects, big and small, and I want to dive into each one of them!

Oh yes, there are many, many more of you who keep me at the computer much longer than I should be. How can I get anything done when there are so many voices waiting to be heard? And new people keep showing up! I am going to have to draw the line somewhere. But not quite yet.





OK, that reminds me of my little Plumpkin. She mimics everything she hears, of course, and her mom has gotten into the habit of saying, "Not quite yet," to her when she asks for things. Plumpkin, of course, now uses that expression constantly. In fact, she will answer her own questions and say, "Can I have a cookie, not quite yet"? Or "Can we go to the park, not quite yet"? This is a picture of her this month - June - when she decided that the only outfit she would be willing to wear was a witch costume that she spotted in her closet. She actually prefers no clothes. Her mom decided that witch clothes were just fine.





Just so you know I haven't been totally non-productive, I have been making some of those Cheri Saffiote blocks, (see http://patchalotmore.blogspot.com/2007/05/primitive-christmas-blocks.html )and I wanted to see what orphan blocks I had that might work with them. I actually found a few that sized up very nicely together. The cardinal is a Debbie Mumm design, the Santa is from Country Threads, The tree from Little Quilts, and the quilt block is a reject from a block exchange. The color was good for this. The little ornament block is one of the Saffiote blocks I made. Patti at http://quiltingisstillmypassion.blogspot.com/ has been combining her orphan blocks into an enormous quilt that is awesome. I can tell you it is hard work figuring how to fit it all together. I am thrilled with my little project and I am going to border it and call it done! Sadly, it only contains one of the Saffiote blocks, so I will still have to decide what to do with all the rest. I am in no hurry, but I would like to see SOMETHING completed!
Dang, my Bloglines is now reading 485!

MY MOM'S TREASURE

I dreamed this morning that I was at my Mom’s house and she was there. It is funny because part of me knows she is dead, but part of me doesn’t believe it. She always comes back. When she first started coming back, she was always rather dismayed, because she couldn’t find her stuff. I felt like such a traitor, having gone through her things and discarded or otherwise distributed it to family and friends. It seemed the prudent thing to do. My Mom was a collector and boy did she have stuff! My Dad wanted to get everything cleaned out. He was not sentimentally attached to things like my Mom was. He wanted to sell the house and simplify his life. It was a perfectly sensible thing to do, except that my Mom, though she was dead, was not yet ready to leave her things.

I am the oldest child of five. All my life I saw my mother accumulating her treasures. She would find them on sale at stores, at antique shops, or garage sales. Friends and family would give her little things because they loved her and wanted to please her. She always returned the favor by making them feel special for giving her the most wonderful thing. It wasn’t an act. She really was thrilled with every little thing! And she saved it all. The remarkable thing, to me, was the way she was able to display these treasures around her home. She really had a knack for giving things their own little space.

Mom had cancer and it had progressed to the point where she was bed ridden. My sister came from Tucson and I from Seattle to take up residency, once again, in Minnesota, in the home where we had lived so many years before. Our mother needed us and we were fortunate to be able to respond and help out. Hospice nurses came regularly and so a hospital bed was brought into the family room. The family room had large windows that looked out over a swampy nature preserve. Mom loved that room because she could watch the animals and birds and feel nature all around her. While under the influence of morphine, she told my daughter, “If you ever find yourself in this situation, try and get this room”.

While Mom was resting my sister and I began going through things in the basement. Mom was very artistic and so she had boxes and chests and bags of craft items. Many items were so old that they had become vintage treasures! Others things were quite hilarious. For example, she had several big milk cans filled with pinecones; and about twelve dozen egg cartons with eggs in them that had all been blown out. What could we possibly do with stuff like that? I actually wondered if Holly Hobby, from the 1970’s, had retired down there. We kept finding evidence of her presence.

One November day Mom told my sister and me to go into the basement and bring up those little birds. She had a couple drawers full of feathery little fake birds that she bought here and there on sale. We pretended to go look for them but we had already sent a big bag of them home with my daughter Polly, who lived near by, so we told Mom we couldn’t find them. In frustration, my mother said, “Tell Polly to come and look for them, she knows where they are”! Polly came over and brought the birds back and Mom said, “I knew you could find them”! Then Mom had Polly take the birds outside and decorate the trees. There was a birdfeeder at the window that my Dad kept filled and birds were always flocking to it, but she also wanted to see birds in the little pine trees out her window. The next spring some of those birds were still hanging on, but Mom was gone.

The family home has been sold and my father, now 84, has moved to an apartment in Arizona. My Mom always talked about moving there, but honestly, she couldn’t face what it would have taken to go through her acquisitions of a lifetime. She couldn’t bear to part with any of it! My sister and I tried to divide up things between her children and grandchildren. It wasn’t easy. Especially when everything you look at carries a memory. We did the best we could. But truthfully, now that it is all removed from my Mother’s house, it has lost a lot of its magic. The box of Christmas ornaments will never be the same as they were on my mother’s enchanting tree. The cute little collection of trinkets from her fireplace mantle look really dorky on mine. All of her Nelson Eddie memorabilia and records – I don’t even remember what we did with it.

In my dreams, Mom would show up and I would wonder what to tell her. She wants to know where all her things are and I guiltily have to tell her we didn’t think she was coming back. She tries to understand, but looks at me with disappointment. Where did I think she went? She was only gone for a while. I try to make sense of it, but I can’t. She is still alive, of course she is alive! She would never leave us permanently.

When I wake up I realize that my mother has indeed passed away. Several years ago, in fact. But my reality is that she is not “dead and gone”, she has just “passed on”, and at some future time we will join her. Jesus Christ has given us this gift with his resurrection and with his promise of our future resurrection. My Mother never doubted that and it is embedded in my soul. Families can be together forever.

So why the guilt about all this earthly “stuff”? I don’t know. Maybe it is because I am still on earth and view things through mortal eyes. In my dreams mortality and immortality get mixed up. There is a scripture that reads, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”. (Luke 12:34)
When I think of my Mother’s home and all the things she possessed and loved, I know that what she loved most was my Dad, her children, her grandchildren, family and friends. She showed that to us all in so many ways. She made everyone feel welcome in her home. The truth is my Mom was the real treasure. Her family and friends each hold a part of that treasure in their hearts. That and the promise is enough for now.

Now that I have analyzed it maybe I can let go of the guilt. I hope I can explain it to her next time she comes around.

NOW I CAN RELAX

Whew, we are feeling the heat here in Virginia! (See my Weather Pixie!) But that is what summer is all about, right? Besides, I am sitting here in my air conditioned home. I only feel the heat when I want to. Yes, I am back from Minnesota. Had a nice trip. Granddaughter #1 graduated from high school--that was the main event. We had a party for her the next day with lots of relatives, friends and neighbors. It was lots of fun to see everyone.

Does the above picture look a little strange? Let me explain. We bought three yards of clear plastic sheeting at Walmart and placed it on the table. Then we took all kinds of snapshots of GD #1 and slid them under the plastic. She was the Belle of the Ball, after all. It was great. People could sit at the table and eat and look at the pictures. If we had scrapbooked all those photos we couldn't have done this! But we were lucky--they were all loose in a box. (OK, I am being facetious.) Everyone loved looking at all the pictures of her growing up. Many pictures also had friends and relatives in them, so that was fun too. (Wow, was I young when she was born!)
I also read a fabulous book that my friend gave me before I left home.
This book, Dark Enough To See The Stars Under a Jamestown Sky, is based on the original Jamestown settlement and was written by a descendant of one of the families. It is written from the woman's perspective, which made it very interesting, since it touched on the concerns and contributions of the women. It was not only illuminating, but touching. I have yet to visit Jamestown, but now when I go I will feel a kinship to the women who actually lived there. We hear so little about them, but their sacrifices serve us all. I was afraid that the story would be too dismal, but the character and goodness of the primary woman in the book was so uplifting. Books like this feed my soul!

GOING TO MINNESOTA

For the past few months my two friends and I have been getting together almost once a week. The exception being when one of us is out of town. We have had a great time visiting and eating and working on our Home Sweet Home quilts. None of us live close to another, so we travel roughly 40 minutes to one house or the other. Consequently, we spend the whole day together, until someones husband comes home and we reluctantly break until the next week. It is good to have friends! I don't know how I got so lucky, but these two are the best! Tomorrow they are getting together without me! (Blink back tears). Well, I am the one

leaving town, so it can't be helped. How did I come to meet such good friends when they live so far away? Well, at the quilt shop of course! Don't their house blocks look great?!

So tomorrow I am off to Minnesota! My oldest granddaughter is graduating from high school. I didn't even make her a quilt! She wants something puffy and will probably be happier with one from the store. Some day she will be more interested in a quilt from me. So why force it? Right? Besides, I have been rather self indulgent lately, making quilts that I like!

The little Plumpkin has turned two years old, and is the cutest child in the world! (We all have the right to say that about our own, don't you think?) My daughter, her mom, said to her recently, "Are you my sunshine?" Plumpkin replied, "I your only sunshine. I make you happy when skies are gray!" You know it, baby!

So, for the next two weeks I will be in Minnesota with family and mosquitoes (that's a given). I will be checking in on blogs when I am able.

PRIMITIVE CHRISTMAS BLOCKS

Have you seen Cheri Saffiote's new Christmas book? It has tons of the cutest little primitive folkart blocks! (Notice all the bookmarks). I decided I wanted to prepare a bunch to take with me to Minnesota next week so I have some hand work to play with. So I started preparing the blocks, then in the evening I sat down and stitched them, totally defeating the purpose, but I couldn't stop myself! I don't have any idea how I am going to arrange them in a quilt. At this point I am just making a few of them for fun and I can figure the rest out later. There are so many patterns in this book that in order to print them all, they are printed small and you have to enlarge them 200% on a copy machine. I did that to a few, and some I decided to make smaller, so enlarged them at 175%. Some are so simple that you can just sketch them out in the size you want. They are all odd ball sizes, so they will need strips, etc. to pull it all together. But for now, I just laid them all on the floor for a photo. I have to tell you, the directions in this book puzzle me. It isn't very clear what the finished size of the blocks are supposed to be. When I add up the measurements for the pieced blocks they don't compute. I finally decided I would just determine the cutting sizes on my own so I was sure of what I would get. It would be really confusing for a beginner, but I am used to winging it, so it is OK. That funny little tree in the picture will have buttons sewn on, but not until after the quilting is done. Wow, do we know how to have fun or what?

YOU CAN'T HAVE TOO MANY 9-PATCHES

I showed you my 9-patch stars previously, and I have had some snatches of time to work on that quilt. I know that every time I show a project I tell you how much I love it. I hope you don't think that I am bragging. I just get enthused about creating stuff, and whatever project I am working on is my new favorite! As I go around the blogs I am always so impressed with the amount of talent out there. The stuff I do is always quite simple, by comparison. Well, those Home Sweet Home houses were more complicated, but I just followed the directions and was inspired by the wonderful designers. Anyway...

These stars are actually called Dolley Madison Stars. I love anything with 9-patches, so they were a natural for me. I said before that I had lots of no-brainer 9-patches to make and that is just what I did. See photo example above. I actually did this no-brainer version several times. I think I fell asleep and went on auto pilot. I am trying to come up with a good excuse. Anyway, I am really swift with the seam ripper, so no harm done.

I would love to have been in a 9-patch swap, but I wasn't, so I had to make a big variety of blocks. It takes longer, as you know. But it is done. I found myself counting and recounting to see how many were completed. Then I decided to count them into piles of 10 and safety pin each group together. Lots easier to know how many I had completed.

I have all the stars joined together with sashing for the body of the quilt. I found the sashing at 50% off at the LQS. It is Moda Christmas fabric, if you can believe it. It is a pretty tan with a cable design on it. Now I am working on the border. And so it goes.

Today is another fabulous day in Virginia Beach, so I need to get out and run errands and work in the yard! Big smiley face :D

NO COMMENT???

For whatever reason, blogger didn't put a "comment" spot on my last post. I just saw that another blog had that happens, so maybe it is just a momentary fluke. Let's hope!

ADDENDUM

Thank you for visiting me at my blog. And even more thanks if you make a comment! When I wrote that last post I wasn't sure if I should publish it. I was afraid you all might think I was an unhappy, mean spirited woman. Apparently I struck a nerve! At least with some of you. Let me just make a little addendum and say that I could not get through life without a sense of humor. There are a few other necessities, such as faith in God, good friends, Diet Coke and chocolate, but really, if you can't laugh, and mostly if you can't laugh at yourself, well, how would one survive?

I do have a sarcastic streak in me as well, and that sometimes gets me into trouble. Over the years I have tried to bridle my tongue. I tell myself, "If I just keep my mouth shut, I won't say anything stupid"! Sometimes it even works. I come from a family of five children and parents who were extroverts. We had to be loud to be heard! There was a lot of competition for attention. To this day my 83 year old father is the life of any party and a joy to be around. He still tells stupid jokes and I still think he is funny!

Again, I do appreciate your comments. It is fun to have "imaginary friends" out there!

MOTHERHOOD, THE FINAL FRONTIER

You enter into the ranks of motherhood with such blossoming and optimistic innocence. A few months of sleep deprivation cures that. You always looked with disdain at those parents who didn't keep their children controlled. Your children would behave much better because you would teach them manners. Ha! Funny, you never knew about strong willed children until you had them! Now you think there is something wrong with them: they must be hyperactive or something! No Honey, they are normal. You must adapt to a new reality: Children rule. You have no life of your own. Somehow you get through their childhood. You even have moments of great pride and pleasure.

Then they become teenagers. Oddly, you retained enough of your former innocence that you never saw it coming. Another evil truth reveals itself. Teenagers are possessed. Why is your daughter crying again? Why is your son punching holes in the walls? Why is their father working late again? And where is my Prozac???

And then came Mother's Day. I used to HATE Mother's Day. What a crock! We would go to church and listen to all the MEN talk about how wonderful we mothers are. They would hand us each a petunia, and send us home; each of us feeling like we aren't THAT mother. Sometimes when the kids were little we would get a homemade gift from school. By the time they were teenagers there was nary a mumble about Mother's Day. You would not catch them giving any kind thoughts away. My husband was no better. "You aren't MY mother," he would say. Yes, most mothers end up raising their husbands also.
Well , finally Mother's Day means something! My husband has grown up and realizes that he could have been more helpful. My children have grown up and wonder how I did it all? My daughter and daughter-in-law are re-living my life, bless their hearts! They work hard to take care of their family in ways that their husbands just can't fathom. Yes, I love my son and my son-in-law, but they are men and they have a way of making things more difficult than necessary. Need I say more?
All four of my grown children called to give me love and good wishes. Really, they are great kids and I am so proud of them! Those with children look at life differently now. Funny how that happens. Both my sons have apologized to me for the trouble they gave me through the years. My youngest son, trying to add a little humor to his humility, said to me, "Mom I really love you and you are a great mom, in spite of what I may have said when I yelled at you." My reply: "I know I'm a good mother, son, I am just glad that you know it!"

Really, it wasn't as bad as the picture I painted. Really, there was lots more joy than pain. Really, it was a lot harder than I ever thought it would be. Really, I wouldn't trade any of them. And really, I love being a grandmother!

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED

I have been stitching away on another eagle project. The first project was God Bless America, which you can see by clicking on that link. I decided I wanted to make the same eagle in wool and see how it turned out. I reduced the size and changed it a little, and I love it! In fact, I love it so much that I decided to offer you a little tutorial, as well as the pattern, in case you would like to make one for your own. Make a pillow, or frame it, or whatever you like.
I use Heat n Bond Lite to trace the eagle and the stars. This is optional, but it holds the edges so they don't fray. Don't use too much heat or you will get crispy fried wool, which I have done. The eagle needs his head reversed if you trace it on the paper side of the HnB. (You can use a Sharpie pen and trace on the fusible side, then re-trace to the front for cutting, thus reversing the image). Leave the paper on the back of the cut out eagle, remove paper from the back of the stars and fuse the stars in place. Now remove the paper from the eagle and, using matching gold thread, stitch the stars to the eagle. Embroider U-S-A on the stars in black floss. Do this free hand, or see the directions below for transferring the lettering. Center the eagle on an 11" x 13" piece of black wool. Use your printed pattern to adjust the placement. Fuse and stitch down in red thread. I just use a little whip stitch. To transfer the embroidery design you will need: a Sharpie permanent marker, a chalk pencil, and tulle, or netting, -not the really fine stuff.
Cut an 8" square of tulle. Lay it on the pattern, and with the Sharpie, trace the lettering and the embroidery design. Lay the tulle on the black wool and position the embroidery in place. Trace over the tulle pattern with a chalk marker to transfer the design and lettering onto the wool. The chalk brushes off easily, so transfer a little at a time, embroider over the chalk design, then chalk on more of the pattern. etc.
The chalk doesn't show up too well in the photo, but you get the idea. Don't worry about getting the embroidery or lettering too exact. This is folk art, just have fun with it!
I decided to add fringe to mine. First I sewed a backing fabric on it, and turned the pillow inside out. Leave an opening and stuff it, then stitch it closed. I then hand stitched the fringe around the outside. I have been thinking of other ways I could finish the edge, possibly making wool fringe, or just sew a colored binding on as you would a quilt. Finish yours however you would like! Follow this link for the pattern: SWEET LAND OF LIBERTY

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

I think I am done! At least I am done with the houses. I have them all assembled and now I have the border to do, but I am putting that off for a while so my friends can catch up with me. At least that is my excuse. I really just need to take a break and work on other stuff for a while.

This is the UFO that I am working on. I have had these blocks made for a while and need many more 9-patches to finish the quilt. I love 9-patches. They are totally mindless and always look so cute. I am using scraps and drawing on my stash to build the blocks. If I can weasel in any little homeless piece, I do! I will show more on this as I progress. I am also working up my little eagle in wool, so we shall see how that goes. I am a hands on designer. If I could only create it in my mind and then reproduce it! But no! I have to make part of a design and then let it stew to see what will come next. It is a slow and painful birth! The good news, and the bad news, is that I have no deadline, if you get my drift.
By the way, I just thought I should take a minute to mention that I haven't ever added any blogs that I read on my sidebar. The reason is that I read so many blogs (though not every day) that I am afraid I would leave someone out and I don't want anyone to feel bad. I really enjoy and appreciate all of you! I am a member of the Stash ring, and am connected to all of those quilters through clicking on that. I also have an extensive list on Bloglines that I go to. If you like to cruise blogs and haven't connected to Bloglines, just click on the icon on my sidebar and you can sign up. It is easy! This enables you to list all the blogs that you like to visit. It shows which blogs have updated entries. You can go there and click on your favorite blogs anytime.
Did you get a laugh out of my dog and cat diary post yesterday? Someone sent it to me I got a kick out of it. It really fits those animals, doesn't it? Have a happy day!

DIARY ENTRY FROM YOUR PET

EXCERPTS FROM A DOG'S DIARY:
8:00 am- Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am- A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am- A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am- Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm- Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm- Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm- Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm- Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm- Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm- Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm- Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

EXCERPTS FROM A CAT'S DIARY:
Day 983 of my captivity.
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.
They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed Hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.
The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.
Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am.
There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.
Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.
The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now...

ROYALTY IN VIRGINIA

I am a Yankee transplated on southern soil. We have lived here in Virginia for almost seven years. I find the history in this area to be quite facinating. For example, less than a mile down the beach from where we live is the site where the first English ships landed in 1607. This spot is located at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. There are two lighthouses that mark the spot now. The old one is brick and visitors can climb up the narrow stairway to the top and look out. The second is the "new" lighthouse. It was built in around 1887, I believe. I don't think it is operational any more. GPS technology has taken over. But to recall this local history:

Four hundred years ago three ships set sail from London. Four months later they landed here on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Captain John Smith, of the Pocahontas story, was on one of them. Bet you thought that was at Plymouth Rock, didn't you? I know I did, until we moved here. In April of 1607 these ships came in and planted a wooden cross and named the spot Cape Henry, in honor of Henry, the Prince of Wales, elder son of King James I.
The expedition moved on up the bay and found what is now the James River, which took them farther inland. They settled at a spot which they named Jamestown, and it became the first permanent English colony in the new world. That is the history in a nutshell.
Lots more information available at http://www.jamestown1607.org/
This is a year of big celebrations in this area. On April 29th there was a reenactment of the cross being erected at Cape Henry. Jamestown has been rebuilt and preparing for lots of visitors also. In fact, yesterday Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip arrived here in Virginia! They have come to visit Jamestown and see what the big fuss is all about. At 81 years of age, the Queen is so gracious and energetic. I wish the weather was a little more pleasant for her visit. It has been cool and overcast the past two days. She probably gets enough of that back home. I wonder if she was hoping to go to the beach?

Also of historical note is this really cool quilt book, Quilts of Virginia 1607-1899. Not only does it contain lots of historical information about the history in this state, but it has lots of pictures of wonderful old quilts. I love traditional old quilts and could happily work on any number of the quilts that this book contains. For me, all roads lead back to quilts!

LAST HOUSES FINISHED!!!

I am happy to report that the last two houses of my Home Sweet Home quilt are completed! I have enjoyed every minute of it--now comes the border, which, I am afraid, will be long and boring. But I digress...


This block is on the bottom row in the middle. I changed it from the original Blackbird Design's Home Sweet Home pattern. (Click the link and scroll down to see what their actual original quilt looks like). I moved the year to the right side and added a flag. The two blocks are sewn together and the the flag overlaps from one block into the next. As you can see, there are lots of vines and stems in the quilt and they have been made using the Clover Bias Tape Maker. I have come to love this little gizmo. It tucks the edges of the tape under so nicely. I mentioned before that I spray it with starch and press it as it comes out of the tape maker. This gives it a nice sharp edge. I used the bias tape to form my initials and the year and it worked very well. They need to be smaller than the original design. I should have sewn the flag on first and then adapted the tulip and made it bushier, but I am just going to be happy with it the way it is. Once it is quilted I think it will be fine.

This second block may well be my favorite in the whole quilt. I love the design of it with the pieced stars and flowers. In this block I added a bit more yellow to brighten up the quilt. This is actually the center block of the quilt. Aren't those Blackbird ladies great designers?!