Where to start?

Gosh! Has it really been since the end of May since I posted here? I guess so, since my calendar has advanced without my looking!

Now, how do I start to get caught up? I think I will post just a few topics at a time, and then I hope to STAY caught up. Getting our new yard and garden put together between the rainstorms, and then the heat has taken up a lot of my spare time. I've also taken a few client projects, so I'll share them first.

The first one is a 1930's quilt with an unknown pattern. Does anyone know the name of it? I would really appreciate knowing it, if you do!

When it came to me, it was heavily soiled from storage. Here's a picture of the worst of the discoloration. It's on the edges on the left side that appear to be brown/beige.

What fun to soak a BIG quilt top in the bathtub!

This is the water after an 8 hour soak in Restoration. It's wonderful to find a product that actually does what it is supposed to do! The brown edges are almost white again!

I am going to repair the corners on this quilt using a vintage dresser scarf I found at an antique shop that matches the background fabric closely. Then I am going to add borders, and make a backing so the client can have it hand quilted (not by me).

This is another old quilt that I made a backing for the client. It's pretty fragile in many areas, and I recommended that it be used for display purposes only. I think she is going to tie it and then bind it.

This is the center of the quilt (without the final borders) of some embroidered blocks by my client's mother. I love the green swirly fabric she chose for the sashings!

Now after all this hard work, how about dinner? My son worked for the school bus company last year, and for Christmas they gave him a 19.5 lb. turkey. Since he doesn't have a freezer big enough, nor did he want to cook a turkey, I did. He and his girls came over for dinner, and we had a gobbling good time! Thanks, First Student!

Here's my son, Bryan and his girls, Kaitlyn (left) and Victoria (right). Aren't they sweet?

I wasn't crazy afterall!

Now there are some who might doubt the title of this post, but do you remember when I was asking for some information a while back? I asked if anyone had seen a quilt or technique that had a window "pop-out"? I thought I had seen it at the Minnesota Quilt Show in 2008. Well, I was right!

Of course, I searched and searched my hard copy photos and my computer files to no avail. I have no idea why I couldn't find these pictures before, when I really needed them! Isn't that the way it always is?

The first picture on this blog is Sunflower Vista, by Karen Wallach, Blaine Minnesota. It is the piece I have been searching for! I always try to take a picture of the label with the quilt at the show where it is hanging so I can have the maker's name. I have the entire quilt picture with that label, but it's a bit blurry, and it took me a bit to figure out the name. I just love this Fiber Artist's work! I've sent her an inquiry as to whether she teaches so I can find out about this technique!

Here's why I haven't posted much in the last week or so. The garden is more complete now. My son put in the last half of the fence posts for me on Mother's Day, and we finally got the raised beds filled with the 5 cubic yards of composted soil. We finally have all the run-off corralled now, so the garden is done! Well - except for one last tilling on the side closest to the shed. This picture is taken from my deck.

Here's my helper, Kaitlyn. As you can see, I wear fabulous garden clothes: comfy baggy cotton Jam's shorts, a baggy white shirt to repel the sun's hot rays and an SPF 60 Sunhat. The last of the cattle panels have now been installed too, so the other side of the garden is now protected from the critters that love to come dine in our yard.

And this is what your feet look like if you wear reef runner sandals in the garden everyday! They are NOT dirty - that is suntan...yes, that is even with sunblock!

I have a customer coming on Thursday afternoon for me to set some embroidered blocks made by her mother. Another customer is coming on Sunday afternoon to have me set some painted/embroidered/photo transferred blocks from her wedding. Ah, now, maybe I can pay the balance for my September Gwen Marston retreat! Pictures to follow.

It's a Circus and a star!

It was still raining, and raining hard Friday night.

Of course, it was! We had tickets for TEN of us to the Zoppe Italian Circus. Because it's an outdoor tent, and they were in a local park, they had to cancel the last performance (ours) because of the rain soaked arena. We were all so sad!

BUT WAIT! We did get to go to the morning show Saturday. I had all my grandchildren there, along with my daughter and son (and daughter's hubby). Laugh, laugh, laugh! What fun we all had!

This is just a small, old fashioned family circus. I think they seat up to 500 people if even that.

My four grand-girls, daughter and me

Of course, Nino is everyone's favorite....

This is what it's all about! Nino, grand-son and daughter

Nino and Quiltgranny

Center ring for perspective on size of tent

My RR Bloggers group have officially started the second round of our mini round robin. Here's my 4" starting block. It will return home in 15 months - hopefully as a winter/snow theme quiltlet!

Just some little softies

I've been down with another cold, and now I've had some oral surgery so I am feeling rather cranky and old!

Since I haven't been in the stewdio for a while, I decided I could work on some more softies, and here they are. I am going to gather quite a few for our annual week at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN (July) where I think it will be a lot of fun to "plant" them!

Tomorrow is an all day stitch day at my house, so I have to make sure I get rested up for sewing, sewing, sewing! I hope to finish my French Roses for sure!

Such people!

Remember last month I shared The Toy Society with you, and I showed you the little scottie dog I made and dropped off at a local vet's office? Here are the latest two that were taken out for adoption today.

Today, I had two more to drop somewhere, and I decided I would put a puppy in the window at oour tiny little branch Post Office. I thought I should tell the Post Mistress about it, so they don't get alarmed, and she thought it was such a delightful idea, she wanted to participate, too. So the little red, one eared, puppy got left at the Post office this afternoon.

Next stop was the dentist's office. My dentist and his staff are so sweet, and their office is in a larger office building that has a central lobby on the ground floor. There's a little fountain there and some park benches, and I thought this would be a great place to put the Polka Dotty Puppy. When I went over to the receptionist window (not the dentist, but the main building receptionist), and I started explaining about The Toy Society, a fellow came up and rudely said "We don't allow solicitations here. You need to leave!" I started to explain again about the free toys, and that's when I noticed how he was looking at me - really hateful and mean.

I think HE needs a puppy don't you? Maybe no one loves him.....but you know what? He's not going to get one of MINE! No sireee!

Such people in the world that can't appreciate a little joy! Oh well, the puppy got left IN the dentist's office (not so anonymously) at the children's station. So I hope someone finds it soon and gets a little hug from Dotty.

Just little ole me

I needed to do a small self portrait for a group project. So here I am, in all my glory. You can double click the picture to see it closer. I've used letter beads to spell out all the things I am, and I changed my hair in each frame, much as I do in real life. Since I had a birthday this past week, I am feeling pretty old, and I supposed I should have found a place to put "old woman" on it too!

The shadow at the bottom is exactly that as I took it late at night, and it was laying in a blue and white striped box lid. The whole thing finished at 8" X 10". The picture is of me, photoshopped and printed on fabric.

Another dreary Sunday-but QUILTS!

It's Spring time in the Midwest so that means rain, rain, rain and scattered periods of light breezes, high winds and tornadoes. Yes, we've had our first touch down of the year, and it wasn't three points, either! Even though the worst of it was about 50 miles away to the west, I had just been in that area earlier in the day. And even though, the touch down was only for about 2 minutes, it took out a house, several barns and lots of trees. No injuries from the tornado, though. Sadly, in another part of the area, a fellow who was struck by lightening while riding his motorcycle near a lake, though. I guess I am just tired of the gloomy skies and the high humidity.

We've had a great start on the garden and the yard, but now we are bogged down again with the weather. We planted 24 trees, 5 large shrubs, and 9 (8') fence posts for the garden fencing. We have another 7 to go, but who knows when it will be dry enough, and we have enough energy left to get those in the ground? The spinach and lettuce is coming up nicely, and the peas finally got in the ground yesterday, too. Late, but they will still be good.

I went to a small quilt show yesterday, and truly enjoyed my time with the girlfriends. I didn't buy any fabric, but there were a couple of new vendors, and I found some nice treats for my sewing room, and elsewhere.

Here are a few of the quilts I found interesting.

This series reminded me of a butterfly metamorphosis

This was inspired by slices of geodes

This was a local BOM of red applique, beautifully executed

My favorite-inspired by tiles - All APPLIQUED!

Unfinished fan block appliqued with with bias onto whole fabric

So, after fighting with Google for a couple of hours yesterday, I am finishing up this post. It's a wet, dreary day again today, but I have plans for sewing, sewing, sewing! I have the French roses ready to join. By the end of the day, it should be coming up roses! LOL!

I AM SO EMBARRASSED!

Something I've learned: always check the link that you post!

For those of you who tried the link in the previous post to the Toy Society, please try it again. I have fixed it now, so it really is the charitable link and not the "party town" link!

Bonsai, Toys and Tae Kwon Do

I delivered the Bonsai yesterday, and it will be revealed to it's new owner today. I am anxiously awaiting word on the recipients response to the gift.

When I was in Cambria, CA with my BFF's, I was introduced to the Toy Society. While we were there, my friend Wendy dropped a puppy at Moonstone beach, and actually got to see who took it home. So now, I've decided that this is something I can do while sitting with Hubby watching TV or waiting at ballgames and such. This first puppy was made from some of the felted wool we made in California. Right now, I am only making Scottie dogs with left over scraps of upholstery that have been on my quilt guild's "free table". So far, I've made one drop in a church parking lot, but I have two more almost ready to go. Check out the blog and see if you want to join in the fun!


One of the joys of being a grandparent is getting to see the young ones mature and gain confidence. The youngest of our grand girls, 10 year old Kaitlyn, has found something that really inspires her - Tae Kwon Do. She's been attending Ko's Black Belt Academy for a just short while now. She has asked to go at least 6 days a week because she enjoys it so much. Last week, she earned her Yellow Belt! They focus on self discipline, coordination, and focus. We're so proud of her!

Showing her form

Breaking the board

Receiving her yellow belt

Camria quilts and things

So sorry to be late in posting the quilts that we worked on while in Cambria at our girlfriend retreat! Spring has sprung (mostly) and there is so much to get done for the garden. We're making some pretty ambitious rain barrels, an ambitious vegetable garden, and getting a new small shed painted and peg boarded for hanging tools.

So, in the meantime, enjoy the quilts!

Here is everyone in the aprons I made for each of us. The pattern is Church Lady Aprons, and they are reversible. One yard per side makes the apron in it's entirety!

Sherri

Joyce

Wendy

Marj

Quiltgranny

Almost Zen - Marj

Urban Chic - Wendy

Caboodles Calendars - Joyce

Rescued 9 Patch Pizzazz - Marj

Mail Order Stars - Sherri

French Roses - Quiltgranny Sharon

Unknown pattern - Wendy

Bird Brain applique wildflowers - Joyce

Reading Rings - Quiltgranny Sharon

Favorite Reading Ring - Quiltgranny Sharon