A week, really?

I can't believe I haven't blogged for over a week!!!  It's not like I haven't been working on anything!  So guess I have to show some of my projects.....

Beth, from Florida, gave four of us an embroidered piece for us to use Inktense blocks (or other supplies) to color in and create something. from.   Beth actually stitched around the flowers and leaves and that did eliminate some of the struggle for us/me!  HA

So a month or so ago, I colored in my piece using Neocolor crayons, Inktense blocks as well as my Gelato's!

This past weekend, I scanned and copied, onto Organza, the piece I had colored.  My thought was to use it on top of the original design.  Hard to see, but this is the printed organza.

But then as I started to play with the piece I decided I would just add some fusible on the back of the Organza and lay beside the original piece!  Yes, my mind works overtime and not always as it should work!  But, I have fun, right!   I cut around areas of the flower........

And fused the printed Organza beside the original piece!

Then, after I watched a Kemshall video,  I got looking at making some Flying Geese pieces to add to the piece!!  Oh, the mind never stops!!!!

But then....the colors are off....so I got to play with my crayons and Inktense blocks again!  And I colored in the 'sky', which I forgot to do.  I still need to add some highlights but the piece is coming along!

So, will I use the flying geese??  Who knows...not me!  HA  I won't know until it's done!!!  And that's a long way from now!  

Hanging Time Next!

I've finished my modern quilt, added a sleeve and  just need to get a rod so I can hang.  I'm thinking of putting this piece in our master bath above the jacuzzi.  Right now I have two quilts hanging there and they need to be replaced!

I'm happy with how this piece turned out.  I'll photograph it again once it's hung up.  Fun to do a free form type quilt.  No real plan in mind for it other than I wanted a white background.

The only mistake, I consider, was I didn't have much scrap fabric left so my binding was cut to around 3/4 inch.  Instead of doing a single binding, I elected to sew a double fold which ended up having the binding around 1/4" or less all  around!  Boy, that was tough to sew the corners!!  But it's OK...it's not for show...only for us!!

Bob and I headed to the show AGAIN on Tuesday!  I can't believe it!  Two shows in two weeks!!!  We saw Magnificent Seven and it was great!  The movie was over 2 hours but honestly the time went by so fast!!!    We then headed off to The Laundry for a wonderful lunch!  Plus, we had the best waitress I think ever!  Her name was Sarah and she was fantastic!  So helpful to us as well as to other patrons.  She helped 3, 80+ old ladies select the right lunch for them...such a patient young lady and a great representative for the restaurant!

Think I'll be going to a third movie this year with Bob???  Guess we'll see!  Actually, I want to see the horror movie, Don't Breath!  I know I won't talk Bob into that one!  OK, I know I won't talk him into that one!

Do you remember your first?

I was cleaning out some old magazines this past weekend and look what I came across!  First, a letter....then

the magazine!  Back in 2000, I was silly enough to enter a quilt in Quiltmaker magazine Quilt a Diamond Challenge.  I don't even know what prompted me to enter!!

 I had just started quilting in '86 when I took lessons at a local quilt shop in Holly.  We made all the templates from cereal boxes!  And of course, sewed everything by hand!  I stopped around '89 and didn't start back up until I retired in '99.

I won for Best Use of Innovative Techniques.  Yes, this was my own design and I don't even know how I made it.  HA

I remember I was babysitting Amber  at the kids house and Bob called me to say Quiltmaker magazine  had called and I won!  I also won a prize...lots of stuff...threads, rulers, a book , Patchwork Persuasion by Joen Wolfrom, stencils, fabric, a large rotary cutter, metallic thread (which I still have!) and paper quilting templates.   The fabric is now long gone!  HA   But I still have the large rotary cutter and book and rulers!  And that thread!

I  honestly don't even remember how I planned this quilt out...but I do remember using METALLIC thread to quilt with!!  It kept breaking even just using a small amount.  Yep!  But what the heck did I know!  Would I do that now?  Nope!

I also had just taken a class by Anita Shackelford, hence, her inspiration for the center design.

I was using some type of folded binding on the diamonds!  I honestly don't remember!  And I thought you always remembered 'your first' time!  Not me!

Happy BD, baby!

Yep, my 'baby' turns 50 today!  She has always had a great smile and still does to this day!!!

So hard to believe!!!  It honestly seems like yesterday...I remember so well heading off to the hospital..actually, I thought I was the 1st woman to ever have a baby!  They wanted me to get out of the wheelchair and get on the scale!  I told them "But, I'm having a baby!"...they told me "YEP, you and about 10 other women but we still need to weigh you!".  Anyway, I did make it through the delivery just fine...8lb 8oz of baby!!  And on her father's birthday to boot!  So today is always a rough day for Dawn as her father passed away in 2000.

She certainly loved her baby brother and they are as close today as ever.  I'm so glad they have each other!

One summer Dawn decided each morning she would get up early and work the horses with me.  I was showing and raising horses at the time and had to exercise the show horses and of course do barn chores before I left for work.

It was fun to have Dawn at the barn with me and she did a nice job showing one of our horses that summer.

This was one of Dawn's graduation pictures from '84.














And this is my beautiful daughter and her wonderful hubby, Jeff.  Love that girl..enjoy your day!!!

A day of celebrations!

Quite an exciting Saturday!  First off, Amber called me early in the afternoon to let us know she got her first car!  How exciting!  It's a 2009 Liberty Jeep and she is thrilled!!!  I am too just knowing she is so happy!!  She sure looks happy doesn't she!

Next up we headed to Lake Orion  for  a surprise BD for Dawn.

 Jeff invited his two sons, Darrin and his family and Bob and I.  We met up at Kruse and Muer for yummy food (Nick and I shared a pizza, which is my favorite).  And of course lots of laughs and hugs!

And I had the Lotus Birthday Candle that is always a hoot!

And presents....

Kris bought two different fabulous cakes...one chocolate and one strawberry!  She also had large mums with balloons on the table, which was so nice!!  She's a great SIL and I'm so glad the girls love each other and are together so often.  It is nice to have a sister!  Don't I know that!

Big Brother helping to carry out flowers and balloons!  He's such a good brother! 

Dawn hasn't been able to find her baby book I made for her as she was growing up, so I put 50 pictures in a book using Shutterfly.  It turned out cute.

 Amber and Nick helped me put together another book of pictures from the trip the 6 of them took this past summer to Cape Cod and Boston.  Both books turned out nice and I think Dawn liked them.

I had to get her this wine glass to...Dawn hasn't been too happy about turning 50!  But then I'm not all that excited about turning 70 in January!  So I guess we're even!

Am I doing anything?

I am actually working on multiple projects but it seems I've been on the go or just working around the house more and more rather than sewing.  OK, truth be known at night instead of my favorite hand work I have been binging on Netflix, watching Foyle's War!  I am so hooked!  It takes place in the 1940's during the war and is SO interesting.  Each episode is a mystery story or two!  There are 8 episodes and I've watched 5 so far...just started episode 6 while the baseball game is on.  I can always watch replays!  HA
I did finish hand stitching all the hex areas in my Beach Glass/modern quilt piece!

Next I started to hand stitch in the other strips but now I decided I'm not doing that.  Instead, I think I will free motion quilt or straight stitch instead....well see!  I am planning on 'unsewing' today and start some machine stitching.

I'm also working on a challenge piece I am part of in Florida with three other ladies.  I can't really show all of it but here's a peak!  Yep, it's all hand stitching!

I have alot of hand work to do on this piece but I am enjoying working on it.  It's isn't due until January time frame but because of my hands/wrists I need to work on it while the hands are still working.  I can have one more injection in December, if needed, but I would prefer to have this piece finished before December, so I can just relax and not feel pressured to finish or start new projects this winter.  I have too many places to go, people to see and things to do with my Florida buds!

One big event this week was Bob took me to see the movie, Sully!!!  First off the movie was great!  I actually forgot they were acting and I wasn't just watching a documentary/story being told by someone.  Tom Hanks did a great job...I forgot it was Tom and not Sully!!!
This movie going was a big event for us because since Bob and I have been together (over 25 years) we have only seen 5 other movies together.  He isn't a fan of going to the show...too loud, too bored, too...whatever.  He did enjoy this movie and wants to go see The Magnificent Seven next!  Woohoo!  We might set a record attending shows this year!  HA

Table Runner Finished

Yippee! I finished the table runner.  I showed about a week ago some leaves I free motion quilted on the table runner.  This was after I free motion quilted around the patterns in the commercial fabric and then added running lines up and down the piece on top of the free motion!

Well, I decided I liked the free motion leaves and added some more!  Two smaller ones and then two more larger ones.  Worked for me!  Here is the finished runner with binding added.

What is really funny....I had to actually buy fabric at our local quilt shop! I didn't have the right color fabric for the binding!  Go figure!  I knew I might not be able to get the right color orange if I tried dyeing fabric.  I wanted something that had some of the red/Burgundy color in addition to orange...so the dogs and I headed to the quilt shop last Friday!   I found the perfect batik that pulled in all the colors.

Now on to the next projects!  Which are all hand stitching!

12 x 12s!

I posted in August the 12x12's I made as part of Tommy's 2016 exchange for this year.  You can see how I created mine  here.

I've received all three 12x12's from Tommy, Carol and Marybeth and wanted to share those today!  They are all so cool!   And I apologize for the quilts not looking square.  Trust me..each one is 12" x 12" and perfectly square!

Here they are in the order I received them!

First up is Tommy's square.  She screen printed the color in the piece. Cool isn't it! 

So 'Tommy like'!

Detail Work

Next up is Carol's square.  Carol is from California

You all know how much I love black and white in a quilt!  And the added color in this piece is so cool!  Note how Carol ran the threads off the circle!  

Next is Marybeth's square.  Marybeth is from Wyoming

I think Marybeth's piece looks like a modern day crazy quilt!  Love the colors too!

Marybeth used so many different stitches, fabric and even beads!  

And this is the square I kept for myself.  I do have a book that I'm keeping all my 12x12 quilts in.  I enjoy looking at them from time to time.  

My square was made using SolarFast to create the leaves from a negative.

And no beads!  HA  Just lots of hand stitching and free motion quilting!

I am very happy with this exchange, as I have been in past exchanges!  It's always fun to see someones style and just a surprise to receive a quilt or two or three! 

Remembering the many faces of Mandy!

Mandy

November 3, 1999 -September 2, 2011

Some of Her Friends

Ben, Cody and Mandy keeping watch!

Betsy and Mandy checking out the backyard!

Cody was Mandy's special buddy!   He still lives next door to us!

Gracie and Mandy spending quality time in Florida sunbathing in the shade!

Mandy was even friends with Flat Stanley!

Some of Mandy's jobs!

Babysitting

Being a Therapy Dog (TDI)

Her first achievement as a therapy dog

Mandy would listen so well to the kids reading!

Getting dressed up! (not her favorite thing)

Mandy was even a Diva when she had her ACL repaired and had to wear 'the cone"!

You will always be in my heart!