Cubic Ribbons

I made this quilt with a group of gals from another old defunct internet list when we had a midwestern get together at my house. I didn't understand the directions on this quilt; green is not one of my favorite colors to work in; the batting is really terrible for the piece; and it was the first thing I ever machine quilted (poorly).

It looks really great in the picture, and it looks really great from across the room. But I still don't like it. Thus, it sits under my porcelain reindeer display on the dining room table. When the reindeer aren't nesting in it, my cats like it, too.

Everytime I see it, though, I remember how much I learned about the value of color when I made it!

My very best!

These are my two most special ornaments in the whole wide world!

The reindeer has lost his antlers, but it was made for me by my wonderful son in first grade. He is now 34 years old!

The picture is of my daughter when she was about 12 or so, and now she is 35. She made it for us in Girl Scouts, and she hates that I still hang it on the tree. Something about the way her hair looked that day! LOL! Each year, she tries to steal it away, but I always catch her. I would cry if it ever got broken or heaven forbid...stolen!

I've reminisced long enough now, and have to finish up the tree. Pictures of that tomorrow!

It's Beginning to Look a Little bit like Christmas

Slowly but surely, the boxes that are being brought up from the basement are starting to reveal all those goodies I always forget about until I see them again! Here are a few of the "littles" that I decorate with around the house.


This is one of the first quilts I made - or at least one of the first wallhangings, anyway. I think it's about 50" square. I handquilted hearts until I lost the template, then freehanded hearts some more. Then I got tired of that because I chose a very difficult (called CHEAP) batting that my fingers couldn't handle, and then I tied it in the cornerstones and called it good. I use it on my table between the sofas in the hearth room, and my hubby says the little black heart is his for his little bit of humbuggedness during the season!


I did this wallhanging at an overnight retreat at a local quilt shop. It's about 45" square. Yes, I was one of those folks who stayed up all night, mostly giggling and drinking hot cocoa. I decided I wanted things a bit more 3-D, so I added the coiled metal wreath, and stuffed some imitation candies in the stocking after I got home. The bow on the outside border is about 5 spools of Offray ribbon just coiled where it wanted to lay, and tacked down with little jingle bells.


The yo-yos that make up the tree have buttons of significance - my girl scout uniform button, a button from a practice husband's coat, and some buttons from my Mom's button box. I love the sparkly snowflakes on the background. This wallhanging greets people in my entry way hall.


This "little" is probably one of my favorites, though I always have a difficult time finding a spot to put her, even though she's only about 12" X 18". I guess you could say she was one of my first "ahas" using Tonee White's Appliquilt technique. The lace circles are from one of my old dress collars, the doily is one that my Granny crocheted long ago, and I used and entire hank of embroidery thread for her hair. The bow has a bell in it, and it is simply a pretty ribbon that came on some package the day I was fooling around with this. Not much, but something a little fun, and it certainly spells out my mood in this season!

Crazy Chickens

Everyone is asking what I use to fill the chicken pincushions with? Well, you go to your local big pet store chain like PetSmart and go to the bird section. You will be able to buy a BIG bag of crushed walnut shells for about $5.00. This made 6 pincushions. They are heavy enough to make a nice weight, but not so heavy as to make it difficult to move. The shells also keep the pins sharp - after all, that's what birds use to sharpen their beaks!

I think, rather than posting the instructions, I would rather send you a copy of the instructions via email. That way I don't infringe on Miss Rosie's copyright by posting the instructions to the world. She *did* say I could share it with a few of my friends, so let me know what your personal email is, and I'll send it to you that way. OK?

They're quick and fun to make. And once you start, you can't stop making them. I have another two on the cutting table right now. They are great for preprinted panels, leftovers, anything your hearts desire!!!! You can make them any size you want, but I found that about a 6"-7" square (times two) is about the right size.

Best laid plans....

For the last three days, I've gone to bed saying the same thing as when I got up. Today is a sewing day! And each day, something happens that keeps me from getting there.

First on Friday, it was getting all the outgoing presents wrapped and shipped to the right and left coasts of the United States. Doesn't sound like much, eh? Well, the right coast has 4 children (nieces and nephews) and a mother father (SIL and BIL). Their box had 28 gifts inside! The left coast has 2 grandchildren and a son. Their box contained 2 fleece blankies, and 18 gifts inside. The largest gift for my son had to be packed today after I found a box big enough for it!

I also finished up my Quilting Buddy Santa exchange gifts on Thursday. Now, I have them all packed and ready to go tomorrow. I can't post the pictures here yet, lest she sees what is in her box.

That was Friday and part of Saturday. We went to the post office yesterday morning, and when we got home from breakfast, the weather was SO BEAUTIFUL! I think it was in the 70's!!! So we decided to take advantage of the nice day, and finished up the trimming in the garden. Now, that meant 23 bushes around the house and in the central garden bed!!!! While Kevin was finishing cleaning up that mess, I started on the outdoor Christmas decorations. I only got so far as to put out the 10 wreaths with red bows along the walkway to the deck, and along the front of the house, before I had to call it quits! Today it is supposed to be raining, so unless we get another nice day, there will be no Christmas lights outside at our house!

So, today is a sewing day! LOL!

I am going to finish up my Pollo Loco pincushions.


That is what Clyde is sleeping on right now.

After that I need to finish up a baby quilt top and I'll post a picture of that when it's ready to go. THEN I am going to break down some of the sewing tables and start on the big Christmas tree.

But TODAY IS A SEWING DAY!!!

Kitchen Tales

No, this isn't a tale of my Thanksgiving kitchen. I am living vicariously through all of my Quilt Mavericks friends for those tales. Today, we will be having a day of Thanks with my Mother at her retirement community dining room. We will have standing rib roast, turkey, ham and all the fixings. The only thing we won't have will be the leftovers, which I dearly love!

Today's tale is about the little Kitchen Tales wallhanging that I completed for my friend, Sandy Brown, who died unexpectedly a couple of months ago in her sleep. She had started the redwork, and it was sent to me to finish. The cherry fabric and the red fabric were fat quarters that were in a box of her fabric that was also shared with me. After re-thinking the border, I was able to finally get it done with no additional fabric! The doily adds a touch of whimsey and makes it feel more like a friendly kitchen tale at the table, I think,

Anyway, it's done now; quilted, bound, and hanging sleeve attached. It's all wrapped and waiting for the mail to leave tomorrow to go back to Sandy's family in CA. I am thankful today to have known my friend, Sandy.

Life is a bowl of cherries

I know I shouldn't be working on anything else but my own Christmas things, but I just can't help myself!

I pulled out my friend's (the lady who died unexpectedly) redwork and took it with me to stitch group Thursday night. I won't say anything about how they had to call me and ask me if I was coming or not. I knew stitch night was on Thursday, but was it Thursday, already? LOL!

Anyway, I got the redwork almost done, and then I finished it last night. Sooooo, I thought, well I'll just look through the fabric pieces that were sent to me and see if anything popped out to go with the redwork. I found the blue background with the red cherries that goes perfectly. I also found a piece of red for accent. The pattern that came with the redwork originally called for prairie points, but I thought of something I liked better. BUT, here's the deal. I've used up every scrap of the blue/cherries fabric, and it was only a fat quarter!

I am asking (really BEGGING) anyone reading this blog to check to see if you might have a little piece of the fabric in your stash. I only need 4 pieces that are 4" square. That's it! Of course, if you have more, it would be nice for the binding, but not necessary. I believe this piece is going back to the family. I'll post the finished picture of it when/if I get the last 4 pieces of fabric!

Please let me know if you do - I'd be willing to swap fabric or postage!

3 of twelve or 6 of twenty-four!

I thought I would play a little catch up today and complete some monthly blocks I have committed to make. It should have been easy; a piece of cake as they say. Well, I'd like to have the piece of cake, please. Make it chocolate, too!

How many different ways can you sew one triangle to a half square triangle and still not have it be right? The answer is so many times, that I had to cut an entirely new triangle! Oh well, Mama said there would be days like this!

These blocks are from a local quilt store, Prairie Point Quilts. Each month they have a Block Party where you buy the pattern and fabric for $2.00. If you bring it back the following month, completed, the next block is $2.00. If for some reason you can’t get there or complete the block, then the kit is $5.00. At the end of 12 months, they present the settings choices, and each color range has a different completion for the blocks. The theme of the 2005 Block Party is “Forget Me Not”, honoring the women in our lives.

I couldn't decide which color to do. I always like blue, but I thought I should push myself a little, so I added the reds/browns too. It doesn't surprise me that I like the blue set better. The blue set is Washday Blues; the line is Mary's Favorite Blues circa 1800 from Windham Fabrics. The reds/browns are from Moda's Wuthering Heights lines, and the set is called Raspberry Truffle.

The first block is named “Addah” for all those able, active, adorable, adventurous, affectionate, agile, agreeable, ambitious, amusing, animated, ardent, articulate, attractive and audacious ladies whose names start with the letter A.

The second block, named “Mary” is for all those magical, magnanimous, magnificent, majestic, melancholic, marvelous, melodic, merry, mirthful, miraculous, mischievous, and sometimes mysterious women.

The third block (which showed me how many different WRONG ways there are to sew a triangle to a square) is “Thelma”. Women whose names begin with a T and those women who are talkative, talented, tantalizing, tempting, tender, thoughtful, thrifty, ticklish, tolerant, tranquil, trendy, trustful, twinkling, and truly a treasure are remembered this month.

Do not value the THINGS in your life, but value Who you HAVE in your life.”

OK! All I had to make was the last one for each color. It’s taken me most of the day! So now, I am all caught up again on these blocks - that is until the middle of next month! LOL!

I guess, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to finish the very last one from last year’s Block Party, eh? I liked it much better. It’s called Border to Border, and each block had something significant about it regarding Kansas and Missouri (since the state line runs right through the metropolitan area), it’s quite appropriate with the story.

Christmas Cases

I've been sewing all day! The result is fancy TEN pillowcases!

I plan on using these as gift wrap for all the little girls and boys in our family for their Christmas gifts.

There are 2 each of the stripey background with girlie stuff on them, 2 each of the construction tools, two each of the cars with flames, and one of the black and white poodle girl and one of the fashion girls on pink.

So now those are done, and I can mark them off my list. BTW, I also make pillowcases if I have leftover fabric from the quilts I make, too. They make nice storage bags when the quilt isn't being used, and I also like to use them on the bed when the quilt is out. Makes it nice so I don't have to make the quilt quite as big to have a pillow roll.

Baby, it's cold outside!

Kevin with his beloved rag quilt in front of tonight's fire!

As you can see from my Weather Pixie, the winds are at 27 mph, and it is 36 degrees with 76% humitiy! It's COLD!

Home again, home again - FABRIC!

FABRIC!! FABRIC!!! FABRIC!!! (Hear Sharon breathing hard!)

When we arrived home late Thursday night, sitting outside by my garage doors was a huge box! It weighed a ton, or so it seemed. I drug it inside along with our suitcases, and didn't touch it again until yesterday.

What was inside startled me! A friend of ours (Bonnie and I) died unexpectedly a while back. Her stash was divided between the small list of on-line friends, and I thought I had already received my part. I volunteered to finish up a couple of "started" quilts for her family, as well as make a Tom Sawyer quilt for her grandson. So, I was quite surprised to open this box and find more FABRIC!

I've gotten it washed now, and it's sitting here waiting for me to press it. Doesn't it make a pretty sight, just hanging on the back of the chair?


While I was taking pictures of it, I thought I would also show you my "stewdio". It is actually a formal (four season) sunroom on the south side of our house. When we moved my mother into the house, she took over my sewing area in the finished basement, so I had to find a new home. I started only with my sewing machine and one small table. Then, we moved Mother to a retirement community, and my hubby suggested I just take over this room. Isn't he a sweetie? I heard somewhere that you can call the room you sew in a studio if it is devoted to only sewing most of the time. Studio sounds so pretentious, so mine is called "stewdio", as it is where I do most of my stewing!

Now, onto pressing all this fabric, and planning what to do with it. It's all CHILDREN fabric - little girls, little boys, little girls and little boys, kids playing, kids posing, etc etc etc. Maybe some Linus quilts for our Neonatal unit next year?

Home away from home

We left home to travel north for yet another surgery at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. We've been here so often in the last 18 months, it seems like a strange homecoming everytime we roll into town.

By sheer luck, in Spring 2004, I found a wonderful short-term lease apartment just three blocks away from the clinic. It is on the clinic shuttle route, and the WalMart van will come and pick you up to go shopping with just a telephone call. The apartments are always clean and bright; the staff is always smiling and concerned.

So here we are. My husband had a liver transplant (totally unexpected) in June 2004, and the anti-rejection medicines trashed his kidneys within 6 months. So, his brother gave him the wonderful gift of a kidney, and June 2005 found us here again, along with brother for kidney transplant. A small incisional hernia developed from the liver transplant, and that's what is being fixed this trip. It was a minor surgery, and he even got to come home afterward. Home to the apartment, that is!

So, he's in bed, knocked out from the pain pills, and I've been sewing up a storm. I always bring my sewing machine and enough projects to last a year, it seems! I can't describe what I am working on, lest the people I am sewing Christmas presents for are reading this blog.

The weather was really nice the last couple of days, but today we are getting winds from the north. I think Autumn is over here in the northland! We hope to return to Kansas tomorrow, if his pain is under control.

Fleur Finale!

Les Fleurs de Jardin has finally been completed! I decided to take out all the previous machine quilting I had done, because I just didn't like it. I've spent all the extra time since I posted the original blog about this, adding some of the hand quilted parts and I like it much better now.


The stems and leaves were originally trapunto, and I think that detracted from the overall look, so they had to be re-worked too. I like the handquilting and the couched threads much better.


On this section, I added some fancy embroidery stitches and a few beads to emphasize the movement in the flower.


This is the center section that was paper-pieced. I added more of the couched embroidery threads here to give the three pieces unity.

This was a fun project to do with a couple of friends, I just wish it hadn't taken so long! It all starteda Hallmark card that I can't find right now, but when I do, it has a pocket on the back of the wallhanging so it can stay with the piece.

What is more interesting, is that I kept this piece for about 10 years before I completed it. I can look at the components and see what I've learned technique-wise, but more importantly, I look at the whole and see the colors that I liked ten years ago are still high on my list!

Autumn and Lotto Leftovers

This is the gazebo we built when we put in the dry creek bed about 3 years ago. The Sunset Maples have the most spectacular display this year! The dry creek is about 15" deep, and it is filled a couple of time a year when the Spring storms roll in with heavy rains, and sometimes hail. In the meantime, I let some natural grasses grow, and a little further up the bed there is an abandoned wheelbarrow that is filled with petunias in the spring. The grandkids love to play here, and often will have "garden teas" where they dress up in hats and gloves, and have little sandwiches and soda pop in teacups.



A fresh look down the drive from the backyards is pretty inspiring too. The red maples at the garage entrance side of the house are blazing away, but will soon lose all their leaves.



I decided that I wanted a more refined and cultured part of the garden that would be "just for me". I started the collection with this stupid old "crazy dog" one summer who was rescued from a garage sale on the other side of town. The dog is reputed to be a work of art, made in New Mexico by a famous sculptor, and it's supposedly a caricature of the previous owner's dog. After I heard the story of the dog and it's fame, I wondered out loud why it was in the garage sale, then? Well, it seems the real dog had died, and the replica dog also had died when the vacuum cleaner bit off one it's hind legs. The previous owner was just too sad to see it sitting there any longer. The original art price tag of $20.00 rapidly was reduced to $3.00 and Crazy Dog now sits happily in his garden amidst the plow gear and sawblade sunflowers. A little duct tape fixes him up each year, and he stays in the garden shed when winter arrives. There's also a crazy tin rooster, a blue flamingo and an ugly deformed orange pelican inhabiting the dry creek bed, as well as a one-winged tin owl sitting up in the tree.



A bit further east of Crazy Dog is the home of Crazy Lady. This is a painted tin sculpture one of my friends brought for my birthday. It is in the only shady part of the gardens on the property! She stands in the middle of Nepeta cataria, commonly known as catmint. Her windchimes made a steady little song in the spring and summer as the breezes blow through her hair.



And just a little further east is the Wren House and her bed of sunflowers. I put this little decorative welcome "butterfly" into the shade garden to liven it up a bit when the flowers all stopped blooming. Before I could get it driven securely into the ground, a lively little House Wren was buzzing all over me, chattering and swooping here and there. I thought I had inadvertently entered into her nesting area, but I was wrong! As soon as I walked away (backward), she busily set about picking up sticks and making this her home. She has had two broods that I know of, and she now allows me to come within picture taking distance of her home.




Now back into the house to finish up the pieced backing for the Lotto quilt. I'm sure the quilter will wondering what in the heck I was thinking when she opens the backing! BUT!!!! As displayed, this is all that remains of all the fabrics pulled to put this quilt top together. I even used the fabric that I pulled (and didn't put away) that didn't quite work. Then these leftovers were cut into usable strips and put away (GASP!) in the appropriate scrap bin by size!

Now on to getting projects ready to take with me out of town next week!

Another UFO bites the dust

I've been fighting off a strange virus for the last three weeks or so. It started out as just aches and groans - even my hair hurt! About the time I thought I was over that, I woke up with a scratchy throat which progressed to bronchitis. Phooie! And the weather here has been soooo nice! Just the last couple of days I've been feeling good enough to come out of the bedroom which has piled up with newspapers (for the news junkie in me) and quilting books (for inspiration), and lots of empty water bottles. Ahhhh, it's so nice to be back in my stewdio again, with the south facing windows and the sun pouring in. Today, I even have one of them cracked slightly open to enjoy the brisk breeze that is blowing.

I belong to an on-line friendship group (with Bonnie), and each year we participate in a "lotto block" drawing. At the beginning, one person sends a fat eighth to everyone participating, and on the last day of the month, she draws who will get those blocks. All the blocks are then sent to the lucky winner, and then *she* sends out the next round of fabric. Sometimes the fabrics are fabulous, other times, not my preference, but it's nice to work outside my range sometimes.

This quilt top was just finished with last year's (2004) lotto blocks. The colors in the photo aren't quite right, but close enough. The fabric was a Hoffman challenge from some years back, and not my cuppa tea at all! One of the best books I've gotten in recent times is Sharon Craig's Seven Fabulous Settings. It's sort of a re-write of her earlier book, but much easier to understand. I chose to use the Two for One setting since my blocks weren't all quite the same size, and I had an uneven number of them. I also wanted to downplay the focus fabric, too.

I chose a muted tiny floral Hoffman for the background, and a soft green fossil fern to frame the blocks. I also used a purple fossil fern for the central star piecing and the cornerstones. Now, a new rule I have this year is to use my stash fabric for exchanged blocks and blocks that have been languishing my "to do" bin. And the other new rule is that I must use ALL the fabric up that I pull out for the project. This means that the backing on this quilt will be pieced with the odds and ends of all the leftover fabric. And THEN if I have any left, I will make a couple of pillowcases to go with the quilt. I don't ever plan for a pillowroll on the quilts, so this is always nice to have when I change out the quilt on the bed - to have matching cases that don't conflict with the quilt!

This quilt will be my mother's Christmas present this year. It turned out a bit bigger than planned at 88" square, but I know she'll use it anyway!

Autumn in the Heartland

I took a little stroll through the yard to stretch my back today after I quilted and beaded a couple of hours. Dear hubby was out in the yard, doing last minute things before the last of the season. Things like picking up the hoses, and putting the styrofoam covers on all the outdoor spigots, spreading more straw out on the newly seeded areas of the lawn, and taking in the more delicate yard ornaments. I took along the camera so I could show you how big the yard is, and some of the latest changes in the trees here. Stick through to the last of the post for a reward of something related to quilting and autumn.

We've planted over 45 trees in the last five years - purple ash along the drive, blue spruce in the central garden, standard pears, red maples, sunset maples and October glory maples. I'm afraid with the heavy rains and winds that are moving in tonight, the leaves will be beaten off before they really get to turn their glorious colors.




I like the way they start to turn, just like a paintbrush has been waved over them, either from the top or just one side.


The gazebo and the dry wash were projects from 2002 when our backyard got all washed out from heavy rains. We planted those trees there too. The ones around the gazebo are all Sunset maples, with a redbud and two yellowwood trees to the south side (left). The dry wash fills completely with rainwater during the heaviest rains, and keeps our other plantings from washing away.


This is part of my central garden that sits in the middle of about 2 acres. It looks a bit tired now, but it's given us a beautiful summer. The gazing ball is the first bowling ball I did. I used all the broken tile that was leftover from the bathroom remodeling job that summer.

And the best of today? What I was working on, of course!



This piece will be ready to share very soon. After languishing in my "to do" box for 4 years, I am happy to report I only have a couple more hours of work on it. I took out some of the old stitching and beading that bothered me, and probably caused me to put it aside. Now, my skill and my creative process has matured, and I knew exactly what it needed - but most importantly, what *I* wanted to do to it! So watch this space!

Now, What was I looking for?

I was originally looking for some beads to quilt and bead at the same time on the triptych wallhanging. Did I ever find the missing bead box? Nope! I found the one with all the specialty beads, but not the basic box that fits on top of it. It must be in a safe place, I guess. Whoa, wait a minute! Am I turning into my mother? I didn't find my very special crochet gloves from when I was a kid until I cleaned out Mother's house when we moved her to a retirement community. She always put special things in a "safe place", and then could never find them again, too. LOL!

At any rate, I DID find all this danged embroidery thread. I thought since it was out, I should organize it into usable types. The end result is that I have one large bunch that is called craft thread, which is like a #8 perle cotton, only in skeins. Another large bunch is actually embroidery thread that people have purchased for me as gifts over the years. You know, like the special packaged that are for sale when DMC comes out with anniversary stuff? And then the spools in the box are all my perle cottons. I love these! Some of them are hand dyed, some are Valdani cottons, but most are just #8 and #12 perles. The variegated one seem to be my favorite as I have more of them than the plain colors. And this doesn't even show all the threads I have organized in a DMC carrying case with a current project. All this from someone who really doesn't even like to embroider!

Well, at least I'll be able to choose from a wide assortment of colors for my wallhanging when I get quilting this afternoon. Beads? Why, I guess I need to change clothes and go to the bead store. Is that a sure fire way to find my basic bead box or what?

Dresden Plates and I Spy bag

Another beautiful day here in the Heartland finds me happy, happy, happy! Maybe later on, I'll post some pictures of the yard from this last spring.

I started the day by being fourth in line for my flu shot at 9:30 AM, and I was back home by 10 AM! I got to sew the binding on the last quilt that was patiently waiting. Now, I can sit with hubby in front of the TV and hand sew it down. I just don't do the turned binding by machine very nicely, it seems. I guess I also like the last "hands on" of the quilt before it goes into use - sort of like a last meal with your baby before they go to college or get married or go into the service.

It happens to be a reproduction 1930's Dresden Plate. I looked around a lot for a setting that I liked. I can't remember which of you Mavericks found your Gramma's plates and were wondering how to set them? Here's my suggestion. I quite like them. BTW, the cat is not part of the embellishment on the quilt. Even though she thinks this is HER quilt, there will be another one that she will claim soon. Quite fickle!





And someone else asked for a more complete description of the wonderful I Spy bag that a friend of mine sent for my little Stephen. So here's the picture. Unfortunately, you can't see everything that's in it, but you *can* see how it's constructed. It's a simple 10" square of fleece (both top and bottom), with a window sewn in made from heavyweight vinyl. It's stitched together several times around with a heavy zigzag stitch. The edges are pinked. Everything in it is miniature toy like things with no sharp edges. I would imagine you could put anything in the pouch that you'd like. The list that was sent along with it says what's in it:

A happy face, a clothes pin, a turtle, a lady bug, a wreath, a shell, a jingle bell, a googley eye, a flag, a spool of thread, a crayon, a gold slipper, an apple, a wrench, a button, a marble, a dolphin, a daisy, a star, a pencil, a moon, a paper clip, a watch, and a penny.

Could this be October?

Once again my summer has disappeared while I've been busy doing other things. Late last night and early this morning, I've been looking at blogs, smiling, and shaking my head as I go.

I had all sorts of plans to sew yesterday (and several other days too), but they were changed even before I got up! My daughter called and told me that the kids were out of school and were begging to come over. So that's what the day was. I offer this blog as my one and only contribution to the Halloween festivities. Originally, I was going to begin AND complete a pumpkin patch wall hanging, but hey! there's always next year right?

So we got the day started with the girls favorite lunch - tuna salad on croissants. I got to unveil Stephen's "I SPY" pouch while the girls were making their sandwiches. The pouch was made by my friend Wendy in California - isn't it a great idea? It is made of fleece with a see through vinyl window, filled with micro beads and all sorts of I spy things. There's a spider, a turtle, a Polly Pocket dolphin, a crayon, a wreath, a smiley face, a googly eye, and on and on and on. Stephen just loves it!

Stephen also got to play with the animated cat that screams and turns it's head around that the girls brought for us. You'd think he would scare him, but nooooooooo! He just giggled and kept pointing at it's eyes! LOL!


After lunch, we went to see Wallace and Gromit. It is absolutely hilarious!! Everyone should go see this, even if you don't have a kid to escort you! I just can't imagine the Claymation animation patience those creators use! Then it was home again, home again where we had a quick swim. Can you believe it? October, and we are still swimming? Now, of course, I have to admit, we have the heater going, but all the same. It was 85 degrees this afternoon and it was just delightful!

We also decided to give the pumpkins some faces instead of carving, so here we all are after that event. On the left is Audrey (8), Julia (10), Oma and Opa (ageless). The extra pumpkin between Oma and Opa is for Stephen and it was a collaborative effort:)


And I leave you with my last traditional Halloween contribution. A picture of two conjoined black cats - actually, it's just Bonnie and Clyde taking a nap, all cuddled up together.

First Quilt

So here is my first quilt,ala Bonnie. This quilt was made for a special niece and her husband, and they requested "Warm, please." Not knowing any better, I bought TWO high loft batts for the warmth. This quilt was tied, but I did try to machine quilt through that stuff on the borders - and of course, that was quickly abandoned.

Shortly after I made this quilt, (which they love, btw) I saw an old diary at a museum. What was so fascinating was that the maker had drawn the picture of what she had made. Sometimes it was a dress, sometimes it was a quilt. And best of all, she had also attached snippets of the fabric.

It was nice to flip back through my journal and add the fabric pieces. For some reason I stopped keeping a quilt journal. I have all my quilts in digital pictures, but I rarely print them off anymore. If they are special, like my art quilts, I have them professionally photographed and appraised. I need to really start my journal again. It was great to see the fabrics I had used, and I'll bet I have some scraps left here or there of the ones I've missed. Who knows,someone in the future might be inspired to play with fabric, too, just like I was!