A little apology & wish for a Happy Holiday

First the apology:  I'm so sorry that I've neglected this blog post.  It was never my intent to let life interfere with my conversations with readers and expression of ideas.  Every one has an excuse for not doing something but I won't bore you with mine.

June-December 2013

• I started a new job in my field of expertise and have been busier than a one armed paper hanger.  So much thought has gone into the Affordable Care Act and the health exchange.  It was a little disappointing to see the Federal government so far behind but the state rules have not relented.  Great project and I hope that everyone who doesn't have basic health insurance apply for either Health insurance or Tax credits to purchase insurance.
• In August, It was my great pleasure to attend the AQS national quilt show in Grand Rapids, MI.  I saw simply marvelous quilts and marvel at the creativity/execution that was needed to make such truly pieces of art.  The Quiltmakers of Cairo were there with an exhibit and demo.  Interesting to watch the process.  And of course, there was an exhibit of Libby Lehman's work and raffle to help offset some of her medical expenses.
• In November, a friend and I went to Great Falls, VA to attend a northern Virginia and southern Maryland shop hop.  Of course, we started and ended at Jinny Beyer's quilt shop.  It was great to see so many products up close and personal and have a few minutes to chat with Jinny.  She has been one of my favorite fabric designers for several years and I have several of her books.  I even got one autographed!
• Christmas season is upon us and I am so excited to share this special time of year with family and friends.  Grandchildren are just the frosting on my cake and I'll  have all four together this year.  I am very thankful.

I was reading a blog from one of the companies that I regularly buy from and wanted to share it with you.    I agree with this article 200%.  Take time and be thankful for all the people in your life but give thanks to Christ most of all.


Christmastime can be an exciting time.  The music, the lights, and the children's excitement all create a feeling of joy.  If we invite it, the spirit of love, kindness, and tender forgiveness fills our hearts.  Christmas has a way of encouraging us to become better people.  At work, we discuss many business books, self improvement books, and motivational books.  I remember a conversation I had with a colleague a while back. I asked, “What books do you read for self improvement and motivation?”  His reply was, “The Scriptures.”  I have never forgotten that.  There is no better source from which to learn.  All the problems in the world would be solved if we lived by the two great commandments recorded in Matthew 22:36-39.
36   Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38  This is the first and great commandment.
39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

More specific detail is provided in the Ten Commandments, contained in the Old Testament, scripture that is shared by many of the world’s religions.  Such simple statements, packed with truth, offer peace, happiness, and real solutions if only we would obey.
I have sometimes wondered which commandment is the most important to me, right now.  My answer has changed over time and I have realized the most important commandment to me is the one I’m struggling with at that particular time.

At this Christmastime, let’s show our gratitude by trying to love our Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ, with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind.  As we do this, loving those around us will become easier.  God has given us the gift of His Son, who gave the world light, knowledge, truth, hope, love, and a perfect example.  It is in Him we place our faith, believing His words as we go through life.
The only gifts we can give back to our Heavenly Father and his Son are hearts full of gratitude and our willingness and effort to do better and to obey.  The gifts we can give to those around us are friendship, love, kind words, forgiveness, and help.  As we do this, we experience real joy and that joy increases as we try to do our best each day.  Nothing lifts our spirits more than doing something to help a person in need.  These are the times we feel close to God because we are assisting Him in His work.  May the comforting spirit of Christmas burn within our hearts and continue throughout the new year.
Merry Christmas from Bob and Heather Purcell

This is the link to the newsletter itself:  http://www.superiorthreads.com/newsletters/653/

From my family to all of you, Merry Christ-mas.  Let the threads bind us together be stronger and more supportive in the new year.

Merry

May is Arthritis Month!

You probably know someone with a form of arthritis and may not even know it.  A lot of people with arthritis don't look outwardly sick or "challenged" in any way.  Note:  we're not all disabled, we just have different things to over come daily.

To many, the perception is Grandma or Grandpa with enlarged finger joints or someone using a cane.  I have a cane, actually three, and a walking stick, a walker and crutches.  My goal every day is not to use any of them.  And I'm a grandmother.  I was diagnosed with moderate to severe Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis about seven years ago not long after I turned 50.  I've had the osteoarthritis in my knee since I was 16 caused by an auto accident.  One invasive surgery, 9 "scopes" and a complete knee replacement have enabled me to regain greater functioning in the knee and in life.

I am the face of arthritis.  It takes me about 45-60 minutes every day to start to function "normally".  My hands hurt and I have to exercise them to make them open and close.  My feet and ankles refuse to bend allowing me to walk "normally".  Shoulders ache so lifting and reaching is out of the question.  Exercising and medicine are my best friends.  Pain is omnipresent but controllable using meditation, exercise and medication.

The list of medications taken during this last seven years is long:  Plaquenil, Methotrexate, Humira, Enbrel, Cimzia, Mobic, prednisone and Orencia.  Unfortunately it seems that combinations of drugs eventually quit working and/or the body becomes immune to them.  The next group of drugs are infusions and generally require time in the doctor's office to have them.  A good discussion of the different classes of drugs is here:  http://www.arthritistoday.org/about-arthritis/types-of-arthritis/rheumatoid-arthritis/treatment-plan/medication-overview/ra-medications.php.

A suggestion to help your friends or family with arthritis, do a random act of kindness.  Help bring in a bag of groceries, weed  a flower bed, mow a yard, move stuff to lower shelves in a cabinet or pantry, or just hand them a hot drink to cup their hands about and chat.  You'll make a difference this month for that person.

Barn Quilts

The first weekend in April, my husband Rich and grandson Caleb and I, went to Lexington, KY for Rich's brother Phil's birthday.  Nice weather in KY.  Rich and Caleb played 18 holes of golf in bright blue skys and high sixties weather.

My sister-in-law Peg had picked up a brochure called "Buffalo Gals Barn Quilt Trail" and suggested we go on an adventure.  Quilt blocks were hanging from beautiful barns throughout the hilly country side.  Now in KY, most of the barns are horse barns and a lovely shade of charcoal or black.  The brochure gave a web site where we downloaded the addresses and map of the trail.  Now to be honest, we did not get to all 142 listed properties and we did see some that were not on the list.

Here are some of my favorites:

A gorgeous Ohio star done in red and black on a black barn.  Love the red border that just makes it pop.  This is an 8'x8' painted block.

 

Another 8'x8' block handing on the barn. 

From left to right these blocks were called winter (snowflake), spring (bird), summer (flowers) and fall (pumpkin).  Each painted block was 4'x4'.  This was one of the few white painted barns we saw.

 

 

 Each of the following are 4'x4' blocks.  They were listed as Radiant Star, Arrowhead, Rally Round and Double Wedding Ring. 

 

 The following three blocks were displayed on the wall of the local Pharmacy in Stamping Ground, KY.  The first is a variation on the Friendship Star block, the second is the Labyrinth block, and the third is another variation of the Friendship block.  All were 4'x4'.

 

Another favorite of mine.  I love the way that the American flag is portrayed in this block.  The Ohio star on blue and then the mitered stripes.  I may have to make this block soon.  This is an 8'x8' block.

This last barn has a Carpenter's wheel or Summer's block on it.  I've always liked this block and want to put it on our big red barn to honor my Builder husband and his carpenter great grandfather who built the barn and the house.  Isn't is lovely in the red, white, navy, and yellow?

Before I get comments on the names of the blocks, I shared with you the names that were listed in the brochure and on the maps.  Some of the names I would think they are different but again, I didn't name any of the blocks.  I enjoyed the view and ability to take pictures of so many.

Beautiful day and a great way to spend together looking for the hidden treasures on the barns.  I hope you can go sometime to find a barn trail/tour.  They are so much fun.

Florida Pillows

Another UFO that needed to be finished before I had carpal tunnel surgery on my dominant hand.  My daughter, son-in-law and family are Florida fans and have decorated their family room with Florida memorabilia, pennants and gator themed stuff.  It was only fitting that the pillows for the sofa be made with Gator fabrics.

Both pillows are the same.  I added some backing to the tops to let them be washed often and a zipper for easy insertion and removal of the pillow forms.  My daughter has two children under three and a nine year old.  Pillows get tossed about quite a bit and need washing from time to time.

Sugar Block Club

Blocks for the Sugar Block Club with Amy Gibson BOM.

Finished: Another UFO

I've been trying to spend one day per week completing UFO's (unfinished quilt objects).  This is the latest one to be completed.  A chevron quilt started several months ago for my grandson.  I found the idea/instructions on the http://youhadmeatbonjourblog.blogspot.fr/2012/03/tutorial-modern-chevron-baby-quilt-crib.html.

I had shown some work in progress pictures previously in this blog post.  Thankfully it is now done and in the little hands of the recipient.

Here is my attempt to create the chevron quilt for my grandson, Colin:

 

 

Colin has had severe eczema since birth and does best with soft items.  Instead of doing traditional quilting on his quilt, I backed it with a cream colored soft Minkee fabric.  It was top stitched with a wavy decorative stitch.  He has rubbed his face all over the quilt and seems to like it.

 

Thank you Kirsty for a great pattern.

Quilters Hall of Fame

I've always wanted to go to the Marie Webster House which is now the Quilters Hall of Fame.   I  have been a fan of the old Kansas City Star patterns and re-creating them in modern or new fabrics.  Marie Webster wrote one of the first quilting books and published a pattern company.  Many of her patterns were published in the Kansas City Star newspaper.  So there my fascination began.

I'd also like to see the signature quilts of each of the inductees into the Quilter Hall of Fame.  It's just a piece of history that needs to be experienced.  If you are ever in or near Marion, IN, you should try to stop in and see the garden and exhibit currently being shown.  I can't wait to go.  I think that this is my year.

http://www.quiltershalloffame.net/

Quilts I've Made

I wanted to share a few of my quilts that I've made:

This quilt is one that I made.  It's king sized, used Georgia O'Keefe floral print and has red silk cornerstones.  The split border gave the long arm quilter, Jessica Schick, room to replicate the flowers on the black.

 

 

This one is a queen sized Thimbleberries block of the month club.  I was especially drawn to the border prints that were utilized in the quilt.

 



 

 

This is my Asian Fan Quilt.  Attention was paid to separating the female (fan) prints from the male (base and dark) prints.  The split border was half cotton print and half Yukata Japanese fabric.

 

 

 

Sampler quilt made from a Kansas City Star pattern.  Blocks are both 4" and 10" with yellow background and a burgandy print lattice. 

 

 

 



Old and New

 

 

 

Old and New:  I used the time between Christmas and New Years to finish a couple UFO's.  The below quilt was pieced by my husband's grandmother and then boxed up and put in storage upon her death.  These little quilts were found when cleaning out my mother-in-laws house.  So they were all pieced pre-1975.

 

All of the fabrics are scraps from dresses, aprons or crafts that Grandma made.  Looking at the prints while machine quilting made me recognize how Grandma planned her pieces and arranged each little quilt to be just so. 

 

 

I've been finishing these quilts for my mother-in-laws great grandchildren.  This one is finished with a red flannel ombre backing and binding.  This quilt had a great deal of red pieces in it so it was machine quilted with a red variegated thread.  The recipient is my our grandson.  So Colin is sitting on a quilt pieced by his great-great grandmother and finished by his grandmother.  We've labeled and documented each quilt.

 

 

 

 

He's also modeling the at onsie's that appears on my Etsy shop.  I have little ties for the little guys and lace applique for the little ladies.  Lots of choices and sizes are being added daily.  Check here to see what's available.

Have a great day!