Some Little Visitors and the Quilting Room

DGS Mason and DGD Paisley came to stay for a few days this week. We played with sidewalk chalk, dug in the dirt, rocked the baby, road tricycles, played with toys, etc. etc. They were very good and lots of fun. Aren't they growing?

I remembered to take my camera to quilting on Wednesday. I remembered to get it out of my purse. I remembered to take pictures. Thumbs up!

Below is Mickey's beautiful quilt. This is a Pam Bono pattern. We had borrowed her pattern and were in the process of making the blocks for a raffle quilt when the building burned. We lost six blocks in the fire. I had made one just like the sunflower one in this quilt. 

 Bonnie pieced this one from cute flannel prints that were donated to us. From left to right are Bonnie, Marie, and Mickey.

Kathleen is crocheting since there wasn't room at the quilt to quilt. We had several afghans donated that were not finished.

Sharon and Jan are almost ready to turn the quilt. This quilt belongs to Sharon. She had it ready to be quilted and when hers was lost in the fire we told her to bring it and we would quilt it. I hadn't realized until I took this picture that I should have tidied up the quilt top before taking the picture. LOL Some of the papers are the stencils that Sharon traced so we could determine the quilting lines a little better.

Here they are removing pins and unscrewing the c clamps to turn. Do you see that trunk behind Sharon? That was donated to us. Pretty neat, huh?

And here they are turning what has been quilted. The little disk you see is used to cushion the c clamp.

So there you have it.  I will take my camera again-- when I can remember!

Blessings,

Lots of quilting going on

November 15 found me at Bowie, Texas at the Community Quilters. I was invited to do a demo and bring my store. A nice group of ladies and full of talent. I demonstrated The Binding Tool by TQM Products. It is a wonderful tool that makes joining the last edges together when machine sewing the binding down easy and pretty much fool-proof.

 The following three pictures are old quilt tops found in a home after a death in a family. Aren't we glad they have been found and will be quilted to be passed on to the next generation?

The next picture is of two adorable baby quilts made for twin baby girls. Sorry for the fuzzy pictures.

And one more fuzzy picture--sorry. I've got to work on my photography skills. This picture is of one of their blocks out of the mystery quilt they are doing. This quilter bought her fabrics from me : ) I like her color combination.

The next two pictures are from this Wednesday at Kraz-z Quilters. Jan had bought the book 9- Patch Pizzazz by Judy Sisneros and she cut this quilt out last week, sewed it up and brought to show.

Don't just love her colors. She used a panel and the technique in 9-Patch Pizzazz. And we are right down to it on finishing Time Travel quilt. Kathleen, Bonnie and Sharon are pictured.

And then today we had Wise County Quilt Guild meeting. When we were at retreat in August, we were talking. Gena was telling us about her parents lived in Indonesia, Singapore, Libya, and Australia while her dad worked for Haliburton years ago. She told us of how her mom had learned about batik fabrics. Always looking for a program for our guild I asked her if her mom would come and talk to us about her experience and batiks. She said she would ask her. Well, today Bobbi came and talked to WCQG. Beautiful fabrics she brought. Not like any batiks I have seen. She told of how she had a tux made for her husband while they lived there. When he passed away this past winter they buried him in that special tux.

The lion on the fabric is a piece she painted herself in batik fashion for her first granddaughter.
She brought shirts and asked some of the ladies to model. Click on the picture to enlarge to get a better look.

The framed unit in the background are blocks (I can't remember what she called them.) used to print batik.
Here is a link on found that has pictures and explains how batik is made.

Bobbie even had some leather pieces that had been painted in the batik fashion. Lovely.


And now some show and tell from guild members.  Our Mary always is doing baby quilts with her added
machine applique.

Next is Marie with the beautiful quilt she made for her son who sails.

And there were many others that I didn't get a around to photographing. Too busy drooling. Sorry.

Well, that's what I've been up to this week. And you know the other regular stuff--cooking, laundry, paying bills, and working on the next project. Stay tuned.

Blessings and happy quilting,

Sew-in Day Retreat

And fun we had! Thursday afternoon I decided to call and invite my quilting ladies over for a sew-in day retreat on Friday. Two could make it and another came by to share lunch after teaching school a half day. Priscilla squared up blocks for the Jackie Robinson quilt she is working on and Dixie started on a fabric basket that Priscilla had shown us how to make(I am making myself finish some UFOs before I make a fabric basket--I sure do want to make one, though). I cut triangles for setting the Navy 4 Patch Stacked Posies. I am trying another kind of setting from what I've used before. I will post pictures when I get it together. This is for someone and I'm not sure if they read this blog or not so will have to wait until they receive it before I post a picture.

We had a lot of fun. I made a pot of stew and a pan of cornbread. We definitely want to repeat this Sew-in Day Retreat.

Blessings,

To whett your appetite

Let this whett your appetite. This is the Purple 4 Patch Stacked Posies that was in my UFO List. I found this fabric in a tote in our room we meet in each Wednesday for Kraz-z Quilters. The fabrics are two colorways of the same print. I finished this quilt top yesterday. In the post below you can leave a comment and be entered for my giveaway which includes the pattern to make this quilt.

Blessings,

Wonderful Rain

We traveled to San Angelo this weekend and it rained all day Saturday into the night and again all day on Sunday. Wonderful. They need it soo bad in their area. We got home last night and not a drop had fallen but last night there was a little and now it is really coming down. Praise the Lord! Wonderful, wonderful rain. In anticipation I planted more squash seeds to keep the produce coming.

We went to San Angelo to see DH's niece who was visiting from the UK. And on Sunday got to be apart of DGS' baptism. He is my daughter's step-son and seven years old. They had the baptism at a nearby lake because their church doesn't have a baptistry yet. It wasn't raining but threatening during the entire ceremony. As soon as the last prayer was said we had time to get to our cars before it poured.

Then last night the phone rang and DH's youngest brother (niece's dad, the niece visiting from UK) went to the hospital with chest pains. They will do a stress test today at 10:30. Please keep him in your prayers. Niece is due to fly back Thursday. I'm glad she was here for her mother. So today I am keeping ready in case we need to make an emergency trip.


And here are pictures of our field trip last week to Frances' Fabrics. I grabbed a shopper in the store and asked her to take our picture. Sorry for the lighting. In the first picture left to right are Kathleen, Jan in the back, Dixie, and myself. In the second picture are my MIL's quilting group. DMIL is second from the right. We ate at the Magnolia Tea Room and then stopped at two other cute shops before heading home.

And I decided to do a Disappearing 9 Patch for the baby quilt DD asked me to do for her pastor and his wife's baby (little girl) who is due in a week. I have never done one and was intrigued by the idea. The last photo is the backing fabric. I hope it turns out really cute. I purchased all but two of the fabrics from Frances' Fabrics.





I haven't got all the blocks made yet so the blocks aren't laid out quite like I will lay them. So the two purple florals will not be sewn that close together. I may have it way too scrappy!

I missed guild meeting Saturday. But hopefully I won't miss Paradise Piecemakers this Saturday. I have really missed meeting with them.

May God bless you all,

I Won

Wow, I won a giveaway at Quilty Threads and Other Things. That is amazing! Okay, I plan on having a giveaway when I reach my 100th post. I think this makes 92. I will get some things together and post a picture. Ya'll pass it around, please, so lots of folks get a chance at winning. Just to give a hint--the pattern to make 4 Patch Stacked Posies by H.D. Designs will be included. I gotta spread this addiction, right?


Tomorrow myself and several ladies from Kraz-z Quilters are taking our field trip to Frances' Fabrics. AND my DMIL called and her group will there tomorrow, too. Maybe I should call Frances and warn her. I've got to get a list together of fabrics and yardages I need. I know you will be with me in quilty spirit. I will take my camera; promise. (Putting it in my purse right now.) Okay, done.

Not much else going on around here. I picked more blackeyed peas and shelled them. Still picking some zucchini and yellow squash. I am getting a few cucumbers and the okra is starting to produce well. We had a little rain; not much really. It is cloudy and cooler this morning; 78 degrees F. The last two days it has been 100+. I had a horrible headache Saturday and the effect of it wore onto Sunday. I believe it is heat related. I'm not out in the heat, mind you, but it wears on a body.

Since it's cooler this morning; I will see if I can liberate some more okra plants.

Blessings,

Piggy stuff

Thought you might like to see some of my piggy stuff. Two are cookie jars and some are salt shakers and the pink and purple ceramic one--made by DGD Aimee (it has scotch tape--she dropped it before she gave it to Nanaw, bless her heart) and the two pigs wrestling/cuddling I bought for DH. I have more throughout the house but I haven't dusted so you aren't going to see them yet. We are expecting two litters in a little over a week. And then another a week later. It will be the piggy maternity ward around here for awhile.

We had cooler temps yesterday and today. Humidity, yes, but cooler. I picked blackeyed peas this morning and liberated some more okra from the grass. "You are set free little okra; now grow up and make us proud."

This is the empty pie plate. I was in too big a hurry to take a picture Wednesday before we ate it. The Zucchini Pie was good. I want to tweak it a little. It was a little watery. And it needed some more spices of some kind. The recipe called for cayenne pepper. There was no way that I was going to subject 80 and 90 year old little ladies to cayenne pepper. And no, Jan, no cinnamon. Did I tell you that story? No? At retreat Jan cooked a couple dishes for us. She looked in the cabinet for some spices having forgotten to bring some. And all she found was cinnamon. Yes, sigh, cinnamon. We had some garlic bread left over from the lasagna meal I took and we all got hungry Tuesday evening. Jan and Dixie (they're sisters) went in the kitchen to rummage us up something. They took grated cheese, black olives, some mayo, not sure what else, and you guessed it--cinnamon and spread on the garlic bread and heated it up. It smelled really good. I took my first bite not knowing there was cinnamon in it. What a surprise! And me being me said, "It has cinnamon in it!" Jan said, "That was the only spice in the cabinet." Okay. VERY DIFFERENT! We had some good laughs. That wasn't the end of our "only cinnamon" episode. Sigh, no, it was repeated the next morning at breakfast. Kathleen made us Big Mama's French Toast and yes, it has cinnamon; IT'S SUPPOSED TO. Jan thought we needed some protein to go with all that sweet. She made us a sausage/scrambled egg cheese thingy that was really good. Alas, first bite -- you guessed it. Cinnamon! And me being me said, "It's got cinnamon in it." And Jan said, "It is the only spice in the cabinet." I am going to make sure I take some spices next time.

Oh, by the way, the first batch of Zucchini Jam I made I used peach jello. Okay. The next I used apricot jello. Really good. Last year when I made it-just once last year- used strawberry jello. Again okay. I will be making more with apricot jello. I have some raspberry jello. Hmmmmm. And no, no cinnamon.LOL

If you haven't guessed already; no, there isn't anything quilting going on right now. But I am expecting an order in from a supplier. Mostly books and patterns are coming this time. We talked yesterday at Kraz-z Quilters about getting easily distracted. I think I am going to get easily distracted when that order comes in. "Shhh! blackeyed peas, I will shell you later."

Blessings,

Kraz-z Quilters

We had sooo much fun surprising our dear Agnes yesterday. She didn't have a clue until her family walked in the door that we were up to something. Then it was party time! We are so blessed to have her still with us; she will be 96 on her birthday later this year. And she is still quilting with us. Her stitches aren't as wonderful as they were once were but hey she has an eye infection (bless her heart--she looked like she had a black eye) and can really see good out of one eye.
AND my quilt on the frame! I used masking tape to mark the quilting lines on the outer border. I first saw this done at Post Oak at Busy Bee Quilters. They use different widths of masking tape to mark straight lines for quilting. Yesterday we got all but a few of the lines quilted and the masking tape removed. It is quick and easy and it gets the job done. With the floral print I knew it would've been hard to make a design where we could see it well enough to hand quilt it.




And before mine there was Jan's quilt a Drunkard's Path Butterfly. The colors are spectacular!

For all the mothers out in blogland--Happy Mother's Day.

Blessings,
Marilyn

Redwork

I didn't know how to post pictures when we drew the name for our "Hillbilly Romance" quilt so I thought I would post a picture. But as you can see it's not a very good one. I tried scanning one and yuck. I will post another when I can.

Baking Day

Today, I will be baking. Cookies that is. Spritz cookies using a cookie press, cookies with hershey kisses in the middle, chocolate chip, peanut butter, and maybe two bite brownies. I am taking a cookie tray to MIL for Christmas gathering and she asked me to bring the cranberry relish.

Yesterday was fun at quilting. We had eight to come, a good showing for right before Christmas. We are working on a quilt top donated by one of our members. She got it pieced and then didn't like it. It has a blue background with pieced green trees and gold stars in various designs. We haven't decided what we will do with it yet. But we sure are enjoying quilting it. It is so good to sit around a quilt frame and talk. I am so blessed to be a part of this group.

I am still trying to figure out blogging. I would like to post pictures but haven't quite figured out how yet. If anyone reading this can give me a word of instruction or otherwise HELP! please help a little lady out. Maybe I don't have the right software?!; I don't know for sure. Thanks in advance.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Today's quilting day! We will be drawing for a lucky winner of our raffle quilt "Hillbilly Romance". I will let you know if anyone in my family wins! LOL. Gotta get ready. Talk later.