Wednesday

Again, all ready. Where does the time go? In the last post I wrote about the Dresden Plates. I hand pieced number 16 last night and hopefully tonight will get it appliqued while watching TV.  My stitches have improved as well as my turning a good curve. I've always shied away from needle turn applique before. It just always seemed so feedily (is that a word?). But you know -- I am finding I can do feedily. Surprise, surprise.

Have I told you about the Dresden Plates? If so bear with me--I AM menopausal! And lately the hot flashes are back--no fun--especially in 100+ weather. LOL We did a reprieve Saturday. It stayed in the 80s most of the day. So nice. But I digress. Back to the Plates. I started out planning this quilt for my daughter for her high school graduation. At that time two sweet ladies in my Kraz-z Quilters Agnes and Jessie started helping cut plates because I soon found out I didn't have enough variety in my very small stash at that time.

Agnes had moved to our area from Austin after her husband died from Alzheimer's disease. She was a go getter. She could quilt circles around me and did on a regular basis. She made many a baby quilt for young mothers in our area. I remember going to her apartment. I picked her up or took her home from quilting sometimes. She used one of those rolling walkers and up until the last years of her life always insisted on loading it herself.  But you know what? She never drove a car. She said she always lived within walking distance of where she worked. She was an accountant in a department store for years in Austin. Her and her husband had one son who gifted her with three grandchildren and one is now our sheriff.

Jessie had raised four boys on a farm and buried two husbands, both died from cancer. She was married to each one 27 years. I loved to listen to her stories of her boys and raising them. She always said she never had time to make raised (yeast) bread. It was biscuits or cornbread at her house. Cook oh, that woman could cook! She told of bathing her boys in a washtub in the summer out in the yard.  This kind of stuff is what I love about quilting around a frame!

Both ladies have gone on to their reward. I can still hear them talk. Jessie always thought we made too much of a fuss putting a quilt in the frames. Principle--too many cooks spoil. She's pretty much right. Sometimes it sounds like a bunch of hens. Let two or three put it in and it goes much smoother. LOL Jessie ALWAYS put her quilts on the frame by herself at her house. I remember going to her house once with the Kraz-z Quilters. She had some nice quilts. Funny thing about her--she never used quilting thread. Just regular cotton thread.

Agnes and Jessie cut out most of the slices of the Dresden Plates. I didn't ask them to they just did. And they weren't too happy with me not getting it together snap, snap.LOL I hope they are smiling now. And that I am enjoying doing it is even better.  I wasn't so much into piecing then. I had just learned to hand quilt and felt pretty intimidated by piecing.

The Dresden Plate quilt is no longer a UFO (unfinished object) but a WIP (work in progress) for those who might not know. My daughter has been patient --somewhat. She knows her mother. She has since graduated from high school, college and is now working on her masters. It will look nice in her older style home.

Thanks for visiting and blessings to you,
Marilyn