Saturday

My prayers go out to all those in harm's way of Hurricane Irene.

My 36 patch blocks continue to grow in number. I may just keep making them until I tire of the block.

I belong to a group called "The Lunch Bunch" which meets monthly at The Quilted Cottage. Sandie, our leader, is always coming up with fun things to do. Last month we brought in scraps of fabric in a brown paper bag and swapped them out. We were to add one fabric of our own to the bag of scraps we drew and make a mug rug for that person. This last Thursday was our big reveal day. The mug rug I made was for Bonnie. I paperpieced a cup and saucer, added a B and four friendship stars. Sandie had my scraps. She used the flowers in one of the fabrics as a resting place for a yellow bird. On the right she sewed a pocket to hold silverware or a tea bag. This was a fun exchange!

Nightmare

This week has been a nightmare. Last Friday, Connie (my sister) and Nick lost their wonderful grandson in a motorcycle accident. Dustin was 21 years old, the oldest of three sons born to Matt and Julie. He was Army and had just graduated from jump school. To make the nightmare even worse, Dustin's brother, Dylan, had just left aboard a ship to Afghanistan. Dylan is a Navy man. The funeral was originally scheduled for today, but Dylan couldn't get home until Saturday. Please keep Matt, Julie, Dylan, Dalton, Connie and Nick and our whole family in your prayers.

BB Civil War Blocks

Kathy asked me to post a picture of my civil war blocks. I hadn't laid them out together for quite awhile. I need one more block to keep me up to date. There's a couple that need a little tweaking, but overall, I'm pleased with the results. How are you doing on your blocks?

Making Progress

Progress is good, but it's not on my UFOs. Can't help it. These blocks are speaking to me. Six blocks for the 36 Patch pile and five for the 3" Bow Tie tin. I love tins and baskets. This little tin will hold quite a few bow ties.

Bow Tie Quilt & More 36 Patch blocks

Another great "Sleep At Home Retreat"! The group was smaller this time, but fun and laughter are always there. My stack of bow tie blocks stopped growing when I ran out of red fabric for my setting squares. It's still a reasonable size, though. I'm happy with the results. This is the final quilt for our Prairie Woman's Sewing Circle Club.
Four days and four 36 patch blocks so far. They sew up very quickly. The four blocks together are bigger than most of the little quilts I usually make.

Quilt for Abby

To celebrate my granddaughter's 'Sweet Sixteen" birthday, I made a new quilt for her bed. The colors and fabrics are happy ones. We watched her open the present via Skype on Jim's laptop.

I've spent the last two days at The Quilted Cottage enjoying the July "Sleep At Home Retreat". Bowtie blocks are piling up near my machine for the last quilt in the Prairie Woman's Sewing Circle. I also made one 36 squares block just before I left tonight. AmandaJean has been making these and it looked like fun.

The First Sixty

In the first 60 years of my life (like there'll be a second 60), I was blessed with not needing any surgeries. Now, in the last seven months, there's been two. I hope this pattern changes. Thursday, I had surgery for a torn miniscus on my right knee. I'll be good as 60 in no time!

It's been so hot outside that I'm hibernating inside with the a/c and these projects. Finished the little "Leftovers" mini, the stitches on the scissors holder and another cross stitched ornament from Little House Needleworks. I'm also up to date on the Moda U "Sweet Pickins" mystery. AND...the "Sweet Sixteen" birthday quilt for my granddaughter is on its way to Abby!

Now I could list the projects that I am behind on or the ones listed as UFOs, but that would be a loooooong post!

Summer School

My local quilt shop, The Quilted Cottage, held a Quilters Academy this week. Many different kinds of classes were offered. I chose five of them. I wish I could have done a few more, but I did have to sleep sometime. My classes were a clothesline rope bowl, scissor holder featuring ten embroidery stitches, Texture Magic tote bag, a reversible cap and a no-sew cord wrapped bowl. I liked the bargello class, the button making class and the fabric jewelry class, too. (next time) Yesterday, all of the classes met for Show & Tell, group pictures and to receive our T-shirts. It was an action-packed week. I managed to finish my tote, rope bowl and cap and am still working on the needle holder and the other bowl.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Here I am, behind and negligent with my posting. Time just keeps zooming by and I'm holding on with both hands. Several family members traveled to Detroit to see Mitch Albom's play about the life of legendary broadcaster, Ernie Harwell. There was a quilting retreat up north in Gladwin and a wedding for nephew, Trevor and his bride Lakyn.
Connie and I graduated from Moda University and have the certificate to prove it. I finished an old scrappy blues top from way back. This month's Prairie Woman's Sewing Circle project is four patches and pinwheels. The blocks were made at the retreat and the border was sewn on tonight. Our Bee was Monday and here's a picture of Mary's project. Those are little hexagons! Amy Bradley is coming to do a lecture and class in August. A new quilt shop opened in Pinconning in a former church building. It is charming! Lots of Jo Morton fabrics, too.

Mother's Day Review

JJ sent me an Edible Fruit bouquet for Mother's Day! It has delicious strawberries, pineapple, apples, grapes and melon, some of them covered with dark chocolate. I was surprised and delighted. Kari, Craig, Abby and Ian sent me a gift certificate for Barnes & Noble which I will have lots of fun using soon. And from Mike and Simone, a Detroit Tigers toaster! It will imprint an English D on the toast. How cool is that?

Today I am waist deep in fabrics trying to thin out some of them. They must multiply while I'm away. A few 'lost' items have been located and scraps are being cut into usable sizes.

April On The Run

Way back in 2008, I participated in a swap called "Polka Dots & Rick Rack". I was fortunate to have May Britt send to me. One of the many delightful items in my package was a printed stitchery which I finished here. Then it sat. On two different occasions I tried to finish it, but was never satisfied until last week. Some projects just need time to finish, even small ones like this. May, I hope you like how I finished it.

This runner is the latest project for The Prairie Woman's Sewing Circle at the shop.
It needs to be quilted before next Saturday. The half square triangle units finish at one inch.

April has been a busy month for me. I've been to Shipshewana, Indiana and West Bend, Wisconsin and sang in lots of church services during the Lenten season. The Quilted Cottage is part of a shop hop right now. Yesterday, Connie and I worked at the cutting table. What fun and what temptation! When you handle all of that delicious fabric, it's difficult to not cut some for yourself, too. (and I did)

I can't believe April has only more day. It is a special day, too. My youngest son, JJ, will be 31.

Weekly Themed Contest

I noticed this week's category for the Quilting Gallery's weekly themed contest is applique. I love to applique. I entered a purple quilt

that I made in 2008 for a challenge. Please take a look on Friday when the voting begins.

Wednesday work day

Here's the last four Civil War blocks from Barbara Brackman's site. I enjoyed making each one of these. The colors didn't photograph too well. I think my battery needs charging. The second top is the third little quilt for The Prairie Women's Sewing Circle which meets this Saturday at The Quilted Cottage. The four patch mini measures 17 1/2" x 17 1/2".

Our quilt show was a wonderful variety of sizes, colors and techniques. This quilt was voted the Best of Show. It's hand appliqued and hand quilted by Nora Hickerson.
Nora does beautiful work. If you'd like to see the rest of the quilts from the show, click on the Piecemakers Quilt Guild link in the right column (scroll down) and then click Quilt Show.

Reality Check

Last week - hot and sunny. This week - cold and snowy. It was fun while it lasted. We saw three Detroit Tigers games in Lakeland, FL and spent a lot of time outside, around the pool at our hotel. This picture was taken at Treasure Island. Every day was sunny and 80 and no humidity.

I finished my Christmas Wishes quilt from the online BOTM by Gail Pan. It's hanging in the guild's quilt show tomorrow and Saturday. It seems to go with the second picture.

St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Lakeland, Florida, where it was 80 today and the Tigers beat the Twins! Heading to Treasure Island tomorrow.

Mini Quilt & Red & White

Today I finished a little mini quilt for the Habitat Auction coming up in April. It measures 10 1/4" x 12 1/2". It took me as long to select a border as it did to piece the top. After the two borders were attached (of course), I noticed the top four patch was turned the wrong way. I was about to rip when I saw the bottom four patch matched the top one. No ripping required!

Lori posted today about Taryn having her own red and white online quilt exhibit in honor of Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts in New York City. Here is my red and white quilt hanging on its quilt rack. My husband purchased this for me at an auction a few years ago. I love the circles that are quilted around the outer parts of the quilt.

It's March!

Although there's plenty of snow left outside, I get really excited when the March page turns on the calendar. Not only is spring just around the corner, but it's time for Tigers' baseball. Their spring training game is televised tonight. Guess where I'll be at 8:00!

I've been sewing every day and have a few photos to share. I finished the top for the second quilt in The Prairie Women's Sewing Circle. It turned out larger than I was expecting, but I'm liking it. Three more blocks sewn from Barbara Brackman's Civil War Quilts blog. This week's block is not difficult, so I should be able to stay up to date on this project.

I made the notebook for Moda University from Moda fabric, of course. The spool block is one of thirteen sewn during a class by Ami Simms, called Spinning Spools. The spools are dimensional and all made with striped fabrics. Any class with Ami is a fun time.

The four star blocks are the first part of a mystery from Moda U. It's exciting and a bit scary not knowing where the project is going.

Go Tigers!!

Kindness in the Mail

Isn't this a cute mug rug to sit my coffee cup on each morning? It arrived in my mailbox from Greenmare. Mare had a give away for a mug rug to celebrate her 300th post. Instead of choosing a winner, she sent one to each person who had left a comment. What a sweet, thoughtful and generous thing to do! It makes me smile each time I see it. Thank you, again, for making my day.

Happy Valentine's Day!

February Update

Winter is getting old here. I'm so ready for spring - green things, flowers peeking from the ground and Tigers on the ball diamond! I like football, but I love baseball! Now that the Super Bowl is done (Congrats to the Green Bay Packers)I want baseball!!!!!

Several of my projects are moving along. Here are Redwork Seasons blocks from Pacific Patchwork, blocks from our Civil War Club signature exchange sewn together, the first five civil war blocks from Barbara Brackman and the first project from The Prairie Woman's Sewing Circle. I also stitched four Raggedy Ann and Andy blocks and a Christmas ornament. (no pic yet)