Wonderful Tutorials

A friend of mine, Sharon, put me onto the Missouri Star Quilt Company's tutorials. They do a great job!

I am alive, Patsy. I survived. We had the little visitors for several days. The baby didn't sleep well for several nights in a row and the toddler decided to be rebellious the entire time. Mama said there would be days (and nights?) like this. And I had a birthday. I felt everyone of those years on Tuesday let me tell you.

DGD Paisley is crawling now. Not exactly what DGS Mason would like. She gets his "stuff". Oh, dear! "Nanaw, come get Paizwee!" She loves his Thomas the train engines.

Blessings and happy quilting,

I Love Small Towns

I love the atmosphere where everyone seems to know everyone else. There were babies in strollers with moms waiting as small children squealed with delight as they slid down the huge blow-up slide in the center of the square in Chico. There were couples strolling and visiting neighbors. There were kids of all ages having a good time. Who wouldn't? Popcorn, ice cream, snow cones, brisket sandwiches, with the old time Soda Fountain open across the street and smells coming from the mexican restaurant on the opposite corner. Then there was a church bake sale RIGHT in front of our booth. We bought some homemade tamales and ate them while they were hot and then of course a pecan pie HAD to come home with us. There were booths selling various things--jewelry, paintings and prints, makeup, candles, home decorations, leather work, visors, sports fan apparel and plaques, and of course there was bingo.

It was a beautiful day. The sky was blue with wispy white clouds. Just perfect. It was a successful day for us and we are thankful. I had sent out postcards to all the quilting ladies I had addresses and many came and shopped. I gave away Judy L. Laquidara's book Nine Patch Extravaganza. So everyone who came could register to win. And we had a winner --Glinda T.  She'll be claiming her book shortly. Thank you to the Chico Chamber of Commerce and our customers who made it a great success.

Blessings,

Busy

Time flys. Let's see what have I been up to? September 24 & 25 found me in Post Oak with a booth at their Quilt Show and Trash & Treasures sale. We got up and it was raining (as in pouring). We had gone the night before and set up the canopy it was dry. When we arrived Friday morning we found out that the canopy is not completely water proof! Uh-oh. The ladies came to my rescue! They have an old time pavilion where they always have their Trash & Treasures sale and they offered to move their things around to make room for me. And they did! I told you these ladies are super nice. So we set up with them and we had a very successful weekend. The rain let up around noon each day--yes, it rained Saturday as well. It was sloppy but it didn't keep the people away. And as it turned out our canopy was used for their diners. They serve a meal with your choice of a variety of sandwiches complete with onion slices, pickles, chips, and cookie or beans and cornbread. Secretly I think some people come for the food! It's all home cooking. And they published a new cookbook this year! Love it. Thanks for the best chicken salad recipe ever. I will be trying a lot more.

Of course the week before I went to Post Oak I spent cutting fat quarters, one yard cuts and organizing. I stayed up late cutting and cutting. DH took off on Friday and went with me. He is good help. He doesn't totally understand a lot of quilt things but he is encouraging and and offers his help. What is most important he values quilts and the process of quilt making!

The week after I reorganized then we had our little visitors come spend a few nights with us. DGD Paisley can sit alone now and she is so sweet. When I hold her she pats me on the shoulder. How sweet is that?  DGS Mason is getting so tall. And his vocabulary is amazing. I took pictures. Want to see? I knew you would.






This past weekend we were in Wichita Falls at the Red River Quilters Guild Quilt Show "Quilting in the Falls".
We were one of ten vendors. We learned a lot. Saw some pretty quilts. I didn't take pictures; will you forgive me?

Yesterday I got two calls from two different quilt groups asking me to come do a demo. How about that?
The first one is next Thursday. Yikes! Gotta get one worked up. Saturday we have a little booth at a local fall festival to try that market. I made up postcards and mailed out today to let fellow quilters know I would be there. We'll see how it works. Saturday is also guild meeting and I will miss it. I am helping get the little program together and to some ladies on Thursday. Tomorrow is Kraz-z Quilters and we are still hand quilting on the Time Travel quilt. We've had fewer quilters the last several weeks so it's been taking longer. So we probably still have a couple more Wednesdays to go.

How about the wonderful weather? Fifties at night and eighties in the day--just wonderful. We have the house open day and night. We decided to give Roy (Roy-L-T) away. He went to a family that needed a second dog to work cattle. DH is doing better. I can tell a big difference. He isn't breathing heavy anymore and he isn't exhausted all the time. Really nice.

Blessings and happy quilting,

Quilting

I've been getting caught up on some quilting. Yes! First, the Time Travel quilt is being hand quilted by the Kraz-z Quilters. We've worked on it I think it is three weeks so far and pretty much all the outer borders are done. I am using Pellon Legacy 80/20 batting and we are quilting the flying geese and smaller borders in the ditch. In the other borders we are quilting a zig zag pattern. Next week we will get into the body of the quilt and start the blocks. We only had four of us this past Wednesday. Life happens and gets in the way of quilting some days!

I got my part of the tote bags done for the Wise Co. Quilt Guild community project. Yes! I got my quilt block done for the Kraz-z Quilters' next raffle quilt. Yes! And I got the Sun Bonnet Sue block done for WCQG. Yes! And I got a quilt machine quilted and another on the frame (sorry, no pictures). Yes! Now I have to make Christmas stockings for another WCQG community project and start cutting 8" blocks for another. But before I do that -- I have a booth this coming weekend in Post Oak. Yes! Gotta cut fat quarters and yardage and get ready. 

I had WCQG meeting today. It went well with lots of plans for upcoming months and our next quilt show.

DH has sold several butcher size pigs lately and young show pigs. A big yes! Four more butcher size will go tomorrow. Butcher size for us is anywhere from 230 pounds and up. When they get that size they can put away a lot of feed every day! These pigs are six months old. You might be thinking--Wow, they grow fast! And you would be right.

Blessings on all who read these words,

Exploding Pineapples and Retreat Pictures (ABOUT TIME)

Here it is--my Exploding Pineapples. This is such a fast and easy technique. And very striking. You can click on the picture to enlarge. The red print is a western with boots and horse shoes. I thought I was being so smart (beware, Marilyn) Sunday before retreat I sat down and figured (I thought I had it figured out) how many of what size blocks to cut so I would be all set to cut at retreat. Not so. I totally forgot that the first two squares are cut the exact same size. Duh?! So I cut everything wrong. Fortunately I took plenty of fabric and recut (can you say daylight burning (or retreat burning). Do you see the blocks behind my quilt? Jan and Dixie came up with this design while at retreat. A very contemporary quilt with bright colors. I had taken a fat quarter from all my fabrics and there was one batik that had all these colors in a tie dye fashion that went perfect. So she came by the next week and bought enough for a border. Begorgeous!                                                                                           

Marie attended this retreat and we had a lot of fun and laughs with her and at her. She is 84 years young. See that little Elna sewing machine? Dixie brought it to retreat for me to look at to buy. Yeah, I bought it. It is an Elna Lotus SP. I was looking for a small machine for the grandkids to work on and for me to take on retreats. It needs a trip to the sewing machine repairman for a good cleaning.










Sharon and Bonnie deciding which way to sew the 4 Patch Stacked Posies blocks (yeah, I have another one addicted, terrible aren't I?). This was Bonnie's first retreat and from what we heard not her last! Beyond them into the next room you can see Dixie at her machine and a peek at the design wall. On the far right you see a peek of Sharon's
quilt on the design wall. She used charm packs and made the Pineapple Chunks from the Sew Simple Pineapples book by Karin Hellenby.
                                                                                                                

                                                                                                                                                                      And here is Ann at the cutting table. This was Ann's first year to join us. She and Gena belong to another group that I mentioned on my blog before-- the Busy Bees from Post Oak. They were a lot of fun. There were ten of us this year. Ann, Anna, Bonnie, Dixie, Gena, Jan, Kathleen, Marie, Sharon and myself.

And guess what? We can't wait for the next one!

Blessings,                                                                                                                                        

So Thankful

My DH had some health issues recently, spent a few days in the hospital and now is doing much better. I am so thankful he is doing better. He is being a good boy taking his medications and monitoring his blood pressure etc.

I am also thankful that the summer heat is pretty much over. I am thankful for rain. We've received over 6 inches in the last two weeks. I am thankful for our wonderful kids who have helped us in the last several weeks. I am thankful that our DGS Mac wasn't seriously hurt when he fell from their above ground pool and whacked his head on cement. I am thankful for God's grace and His mercies that are new every morning.  I am thankful for a new litter of pigs. I am thankful for God's provision. Thankful for His healing. He is so good.

Blessings,

Checking In

I have been neglectful about blogging lately. Sorry. I just got back from retreat and I wish I could say I had pictures. I don't. I took the camera. I didn't take the battery charger. You guessed it--the battery was low. Some others took pictures and if and when they get to share I will post. We did have a good time. There were ten of us -- more than we've ever had. We stayed at LeRetreat House in Gainesville, Tx. It is a nice old house with four bedrooms and four bathrooms. It is always so much fun to see what everyone brings to work on. I took the black and red exploding pineapple project to make more blocks and sew together. Mission accomplished! I will post a picture just as soon as I charge the battery. LOL

We've also had more house guests. Not quite as little as last time. DGD Aimee and DGS Mac came and stayed several days and we had a good time. We sewed. Even Mac! And he is good. I sewed Aimee a tiered skirt from one of the batiks I sell. No picture. I know bad blogger! Maybe I can get her mom to take one with her wearing it. That would be nice. I found this neat tutorial for a cute little girl's ruffled skirt. I can't wait to make her a few of course I will have to refigure for a larger size but it will be easy. Also found this and want to make one. And not to leave Mac out I asked him about making a shirt for him and he picked out a fabric. I guess I better get busy!

I am only going to acknowledge that the temperatures here have been well, AWFUL. Well over 100 degrees for several weeks. The grass is burning. We turned the cow and calf in on the blackeyed peas. The tomatoes and peppers have dryed up. I gave up on them. BUT we are forecast for cooler weather soon. Ten degrees will be so much of a difference. Can't wait.

Ya'll stay as cool as you can, 

Peaches

I am in love! With lovely golden luscious peaches. I kid you not I could eat my weight in these fruits. I have canned, frozen slices, frozen juice for jelly, frozen pulp for jam and tomorrow we pick more, yeah. And on the agenda is to make Pickled Peaches and Cinnamon Peach Jelly and Jam and more cobblers.  Tonight I made Peach Salsa  to go with our ham and black-eyed peas. And we kinda liked it. I'm going to tweak it a little. I cut up a few peaches, a little red and green bell pepper, a jalapeno, a bit of onion and squeezed a lime over it all. Some recipes add cilantro and garlic. I have since learned tonight online that I can can Peach Salsa.Gotta love the internet. On our ham I like to mix brown sugar and plum jelly or jam and spread over. We generally have our ham cut into steaks. And one steak will give us two meals.

So to recap and to explain my shriveled hands.I'm loving it! I picked 3/4 bushel of black-eyed peas Saturday morning; shelled them and canned them later that evening. We had picked peaches Friday morning and they weren't quite ripe so laid them out to ripen more. Sunday I started blanching and peeling. Cutting and freezing. This batch I froze. The previous picking I canned. These days I don't feel normal unless I'm standing at the sink cutting or peeling something. LOL We are also enjoying cantaloupe from another neighbor. Another friend gave me Jalapeno Jelly.

And here is the latest addition to our pig collection. My fellow Kraz-z Quilter, Jan, gave me these last Wednesday. Aren't they 'dorable? They are carved from wood. We are expecting a new litter this coming weekend. Bless the poor humans and beasties in this heat. Triple digits are forecast through next Monday. It is definitely August in Texas. Today I did laundry and hung on the line to help save on the electricity bill. In this kind of heat I  "wet" the hogs down about mid afternoon.

DH has gotten some work the last couple of weeks. Sounds like it might be sporadic for a bit. We are thankful for God's provision.

Blessings,

Checking In

Does the summer seem to be flying by to you? Well, as far as I'm concerned the near 100 degree temps and high humidity can fly by and totally away. And we did get welcome relief last evening and today. Rain showers overnight and clouds today brought some welcome lower temps.

What have I been doing? We had little house guests again. Yes, DGS Mason and DGD Paisley. They stayed most of last week. Let's just put it this way. I sure did enjoy relaxing when they went home.  LOL Oh, I gotta tell you this. Mason and I were talking one morning EARLY ('cause that's when he wakes up is EARLY and his sister likes to wake up during the wee hours when her pacifier is not in her mouth). He said that someone must have tickled the sun and woke it up. I asked him if the sun had tickled him (me-what sun? it's still asleep.) and woke him up. He told me the sun didn't have any arms.

In the picture above it sure looks like Paisley is observing the quilt and the stitches. A future quilter perhaps. Sure hope so.

Not much quilting going on. I've been rearranging the sewing/quilt notions/fabric room. And I am liking it. I bought a couple of shelf units and started organizing, sorting and tossing. I have a couple more areas and then I'll be done.  Have you ever reorganized and then slept (dangerous) and then couldn't find something? Yeah. Not fun. I still haven't found it. Oh dear. It will turn up. I hope sooner than later.

Like I said not much quilting going on. But there has been canning. And there will be more canning. Blackeyed peas. Yes, they recovered from the grazing of the bovine. Two weeks after their haircut I picked a bushel. That produced a couple of meals for us and eight quart jars. And then there soon will be peaches in the water bath canner. We picked about a bushel this morning and there are several more trees. The neighbor  with his proposition with the plums is the same one who has the peach trees. It was so funny that morning. He came to the house and said to DH, " I have a proposition for your wife."  Of course he was talking plums. The deal was he would supply the plums and sugar if I would make the jelly. He liked the jelly I had sent by way of DH. I've never canned peaches before so I am looking forward to it. And I might make us some preserves, too.

I haven't posted what we decided to name the puppy we kept. Roy-L-T  because he looked like he was wearing a crown. Now not so much. His head has gotten more slender. LOL We call him Roy for short and it suits him fine.I would post a picture but someone might turn us in to the Humane Society. He looks like he starving but I know different. He's at that clumsy, awkward, feet too big for his body stage. Lately he has been wanting to chew on everything. Not my favorite part of puppyhood. It was almost hilarious the other day. We leave our outside shoes in the garage. We had just come out of the garage after putting on a pair of outside shoes and I had left the garage door open. Not smart. I kid you not that pup ran in there in a flash and grabbed one of my old tennis shoes and ran behind the nearest tree and commenced to chew. I took off running and so did he. Commanded "Drop it." and he did. We had already done this with my flip flops, Mason's crocs, DH is stilling missing one flip flop. Oh and did I tell you that with hot humid weather also come ticks. Yeah. Not so fun either. The pills from the vet fixed them right up.   

Quilt retreat is coming up in August. I can't wait. I might get some sewing done.

Blessings and happy quilting,