One quilt, two blocks

From The Woods To The Water, 1983

I've been meaning to share this quilt on my blog, but never got around to it. I don't like this photo, though, as it looks all washed out. I made this quilt for my father's retirement in 1983. It is 82" x 82", machine pieced and hand quilted.

This little Dear Jane block is E-1, Aunt Exie's Phlox, hand appliqued.

The little pink block is H-4, Abbey's Eyes, hand pieced. Love the bright pink fabric!!!

Ode to Kate

Kate posted a Meme on her blog... I decided to give it a go!

Five things Found in your Bag/Purse:

• tons of receipts
• Halls Plus honey lemon
• lots of change floating around
• red checkbook and red wallet (hey, it's a red purse!)
• snack-size bag of vitamins

Five Favourite Things in Your Room:

• lazy grey cat named Stormie (she's in whatever room I happen to be in)
• many quilts (completed or in progress)
• television
• wooden rabbit
• quilt magazines
  

Five Things You Have Always Wanted to Do:

• Visit Montana
• Visit England
• Own a horse
• Live on property with endless, well-maintained (not by me gardens)
• Write a novel

Five things you are currently into:

• Dear Jane quilts
• My grandchildren
• Weight Watchers
• Walking
• Reading quilt blogs
  
  Would you like to do this Meme? Please feel free, and post a link in it back to me!
  
  
  

Last chance!

Only one more day to turn in your favorite quilt!

From an earlier post:

What is YOUR favorite quilt (of the quilts that YOU have made)? Let's gather a list of favorites! Please do one of the following so you can be included.

A) Post a comment with the following information: Your first and last name, state or country, name of your favorite quilt and why it's your favorite, and a link to where a photo of it can be located on the Internet.

B) Send me an email with: Your first and last name, state or country, name of your favorite quilt and why it's your favorite, and an attached photo of your favorite quilt.
Please make sure your information reaches me by April 30, 2008. I will then post a special "My Favorite Quilt" blog (or 2,3,4, etc.) and share this information.

The Graduate

I'm so proud of my daughter-in-law. She took 3 college classes this semester to finish her degree, and graduated from Eastern Michigan University this past Sunday. Part way into the semester she gave birth to my granddaughter Samantha, and also worked full-time doing bookkeeping. That's dedication, and I don't know how she did it, but we're all SO proud of Kim!

The family went out to Olive Garden for a yummy celebration lunch. Sammy slept through most of it, and Jacob was a happy eater. I must admit, he has inherited the family bread gene.

Jacob went to the graduation to see his mommy walk across the stage, while Samantha spent her first night at Grammy and Bumpa's house. She will be three months old this Friday, May 2nd. She slept like an angel and was a very good baby. We had lots of cuddle time! Sammy had her first visit to our church, her first trip to the grocery store with us, and was carefully watched by Stormie the cat. I love this picture of her in her floppy hat, ready to go have lunch and celebrate her mommy's accomplishment!

I squeaked in a little hand quilting last night while I watched tv. This is C3-Rayelle's Fence.

Have a great day!

Flowering Plum

Outside our bedroom is a Flowering Plum tree. Usually when it is in full bloom, it only stays that way a day or two because of the spring rains and wind. So yesterday morning before work I ran outside with my camera to capture the beauty before that happens. Can you see the birds' nest in there? It's there!

Happy Spring, everyone!

Northern Lights

When I was in middle school I spent a few weeks at a Girl Scout camp in Traverse City, Michigan - as I did every summer. One night in the wee hours of morning, my counselor woke us up and told us to grab our sleeping bag and follow her. She took us up to the top of a big hill to meet the rest of the camp. There, I saw the Northern Lights for the very first time. We lay on the ground on or in our sleeping bags and looked straight up at the heavens and saw the beautiful colors swirl and change for nearly an hour. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and something I'll remember all my life.

The block you see here is part of my "Dear Sammy Jane" quilt, and is called "Northern Lights." (LS-8) It doesn't look anything like the Northern Lights I saw, though. This little block is paper pieced and hand appliqued. I'm going to work more for awhile doing hand piecing. I love the relaxation of it, and then I don't have to pick these *#G*D"*%'*#QX"*% pieces of paper out of the finished product. YICK! With this block, my Dear Jane numbers are now 56-12-2-1671. 56 blocks, 12 triangles, 2 corners, and a total of 1671 pieces so far. More coming!

The weather has been perfect here over the last week. We've even had the bedroom window open a crack at night. A slight bit of chill, but perfect for sleeping. This weekend looks like rain, though. Jacob and Samantha will be here Saturday night. I was hoping for nice weather so he could ride his bike and tractor outside. We'll see. This is Sammy's first night at Grammy and Bumpa's house. We're excited!

A Glorious Weekend

It was such a nice weekend outside here in mid-Michigan! The sun was shining, the birds were not only singing but flocking to my bird feeders! I spent some time in the yard dividing and replanting some day lilies, raked around the goldfish pond, and other assorted odd yard jobs. I'm a little stiff and sore today, but that comes with spring I guess.

I did some more work on Samantha's christening gown... the sleeves are now done. They were very difficult, but now DONE. Next I need to assemble the front, back and sleeves into one unit and do the neckline. I'm a little scared.

The little block above is from my Dear Sammy Jane quilt, called C1-Trooper Green's Badge. Cute, easy little block. I also tried doing the bottom left corner of the quilt, but that gave me fits and I stopped. I was paper piecing it, and I think I need to try again with hand piecing. Another day, I think.

What's YOUR favorite quilt?

I've made quite a few quilts in my day... not as many as some people, but more than others. When I think back on all the quilts that have crossed my quilting frame, this pieced Ocean Waves quilt made in 1985 is my favorite. Perhaps it is all the little pieces that went into it. 2,348 to be exact. Maybe it was the time it took me to piece it by machine. Perhaps it was the color selection. Maybe the hand quilting process (which I adore). Whatever it is, this is my favorite quilt.

What is YOUR favorite quilt (of the quilts that YOU have made)? Let's gather a list of favorites! Please do one of the following so you can be included.

A) Post a comment with the following information: Your first and last name, state or country, name of your favorite quilt and why it's your favorite, and a link to where a photo of it can be located on the Internet.

B) Send me an email with: Your first and last name, state or country, name of your favorite quilt and why it's your favorite, and an attached photo of your favorite quilt.

Please make sure your information reaches me by April 30, 2008. I will then post a special "My Favorite Quilt" blog (or 2,3,4, etc.) and share this information.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Kite #2 - done!

I finished my second of the four “kites” or corners for my Dear Sammy Jane quilt. It was fun putting on the embroidered writing. I kept a space for the number of pieces and for the finished date. I’m glad I chose this deep burgundy for this block. I love tan and burgundy together. I added more writing on mine than Jane put on hers, but that’s okay! It’s my quilt, not hers!
I also think I am going to design a few of my own blocks to use in the quilt as well.

Do you ever get those days when it seems no matter what you sew, it just doesn’t work out? I was working on the BOW (Block of the Week) last night, and it was driving me nuts! I wanted to do it in a stripe fabric, but in paper piecing, my brain had a hard time deciding how to make the stripes all go the same direction. I got half of the block pieced, and when I put it together, it looked awful. It’s in my trash bucket, and I will be hand piecing the block tonight and fussy cutting it. Geesh! AND, the night before last I worked on sewing the other sleeve for Sammy’s christening gown. The lace looked beautiful… then I discovered I sewed the top row of INSET lace in the wrong place!!! Fortunately, I hadn’t cut out behind the lace when I discovered it, so I took that row of lace off. It left little holes from the sewing needle where the lace was. I think a row of mini pink ribbon will go nicely there, and on the other sleeve to match.

I think we all get those kinds of days. For me, I can only take the frustration so long. Quilting is supposed to be fun, so when that happens, I just stop what I’m doing and go do something else that is NON sewing. I figure, if God wanted me sewing right then, it would work out right. Not meant to be, so MOVE ON!

Hope you have a great sewing day, and that everything works out as planned… His plan!

Blogging Adds Friends...

And YOU are one of them!

A lot of quilters (and non quilters alike) visit quilters' and crafters' blogs... some leave comments, some don't. Some send you email, some don't. Each morning when I turn on my computer I notice that the number of people visiting my blog has grown, and it always makes me wonder...

Who are you? Where do you live? Are you a first-time quilter? An experienced quilter? A quilter wanna be? What do you like to do in your spare time? Do you have a job? Do you own a quilt shop? Are you a young mom or a proud Grammy like me? Our blogs share important parts of our lives with our blogging friends. Please add a quick comment and introduce yourself, dear friend!

I don't think I shared this little quilt before. I made it many years ago, and my youngest son used to cuddle under it to watch television. It was machine pieced and hand quilted. University of Michigan colors, my alma mater.

Every artist dips his brush in his own soul,

and paints his own nature into his pictures.

~Henry Ward Beecher

Thanks for stopping by!

A Sleeve for Samantha

Sounds like the title of a book, doesn't it? "A Sleeve for Samantha." Here's a very tiny peek at a very tiny sleeve for a very tiny little girl's christening gown. Made for Sammy... by Grammy. You might see tiny blue dots along the lace. Those will disappear with cold water when I'm finished. (Yes, I tested it!)

The Improvisational Quilts of Susana Allen Hunter

Yesterday Dean and I had a wonderful day roaming around the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. It's been quite awhile since I've been there, and much has been done to the museum during my absence. Our visit was planned so that we could attend the quilt show featuring the quilts of Susana Allen Hunter. The link takes you to the Henry Ford web page with her information.


Susana was an African American woman who quilted out of necessity for her family. The exhibit is only there through April 27th, so if you'd like to attend, you best hurry! Dating from the 1930s to the 1970s, her quilts provide daily-life context to the experience of African Americans living in the Jim Crow South. Don't expect to see fancy applique and tiny, wonderous quilting motifs. However, the exhibit is an excellent display of real-life America for many people. Taking what they had, using worn clothes and blankets, women often crafted quilts to warm their families. If you visit, take take the time to read the displays. The information and quotes from Susana's family are precious. What a great lady she was!


Here are just a few of the photos from the show:







That's me in the middle admiring the back of her quilt. Looking at the display of her sewing materials (see above) was a humbling experience. Modern-day quilters tend to search for the newest sewing gadgets to make our work better. It's amazing what needle, thread, and one simple pair of scissors will do! Thank you for your work, Susana.

Rug Surfing

You've seen a lot of photos of cats on quilts... at least you have if you read quilt blogs frequently. But have you seen any cats RUG SURFING? Stormie has quite a talent, and she practices daily. If I had a movie camera, I'd post a video on my blog. These photos will have to suffice.

First, let me take you through the scenario.

1. First, you take a rug, one that has been placed beautifully on a nice tile floor in the front hallway. You must have plenty of room to do "the run."
2. Second, you make absolutely sure the rug is nicely in place, positioned squarely in the hall. This is best done right after mommy or daddy have repositioned the rug after an earlier episode.
3. Third, you start from the opposite corner of the house, and run full tilt boogie towards the front hall.
4. Fourth, you land on the rug with a plop and ride it as it scoots up the door. If someone happens to catch you in the act, scowl at them. Look very angry!

Voila - Rug Surfing!

Little blocks I forgot to post

How could I forget to share these little blocks with you?



From top left:

• B-13: Four Corner Press
• C-13 Lakota Sioux
• L-8 Box Kite

Being spring, I felt the urge to freshen up my blog's image a little bit. I needed something less wintery... Does this do the trick? Please let me know what you think in the comments below. Thanks!

I'm DONE!

My college classes are done, and all I have left to do is grade the final exams. No more Saturday morning or Wednesday night classes! I'll miss my students, but this has been a long semester, and at least 4 nights each week I've had schoolwork to do. With working full-time during the day, this has been a long 3.5 months!

I've had a little time in the last week to sew some. Sammy and Jake were here Sunday... but the sewing machine and the fingers were working when they weren't here. Monday, Dean and I were going to go to Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan but we ended up having to go to the hospital to be with his mother who had some tests done. Tests came back negative, but we still don't know what is causing her problems. We may go to the museum this Sunday... depends on how Dean feels (spring allergies).

I love doing applique. This was a fun block to do, and I did most of it while waiting at the hospital. It's called D8 - Dee Dee's Delight. I don't know who Dee Dee is, but I was delighted sewing this! Click on the photo to see a larger version. I love the pink fabric!

Speaking of fabric, I bought a few little pieces on eBay today and won! Some brown charms and some red and white jelly rolls! Very exciting! There is alot of of fabric for sale on eBay. Check it out!

A Longer Weekend...

means more time to cuddle with Samantha!

Sammy and Jake were here Sunday for the afternoon while their mommy and daddy were house hunting. Sammy spent a lot of time either sleeping or eating, but the rest of the time she was being held by me. Ahhhh, nothing like a baby to snuggle with! Jake and his "Bumpa" did some yard work, and Jake enjoyed riding his own John Deere peddle tractor and John Deere bike on the sidewalk. Just shy of 4 years old, he loves riding anything with wheels. Bumpa also gave Jake a ride on the big tractor up and down the street which always goes over well!

I snuck outside Sunday morning and took some early spring photos of the yard and house. Next to my pond some little yellow crocus peek out of the grass. The goldfish are doing their little "happy dance" in the pond, but I think I will get them a few new roommates. I only count 5 fish... wonder what happened to the others?

Here's a photo of the back of our house from the back fence. Pretty naked now, but in less than one month, it will be hard to see the house through the trees. Beyond the back fence, our yard drops off to the flats down by the creek. That's where the deer hang out. We have left that natural... I might sneak down this year and plant some daylilies by the water. I have lots of lilies that need dividing, and it might be nice to have a splash of color down there. Hmmm.

While I was waiting for Jake and Sammy to arrive, I spent some time working on Sammy's christening gown. It's coming along nicely, now that I have most of the yellow spots out. I cut it out on Saturday and have the yoke on the front all tucked and embroidered. The fabric is not the easiest thing to work with, though! Very slippery! I did a little piecing and embroidery work for my Dear Sammy Jane quilt. I'm now at 53 blocks! Yippie!

I'll share the quilting another time. I'm off to hang a mirror!

Keeping Track of a Multitude of Blogs

Are you hooked on quilt blogs? I know I am! I have a long list of blogs I read, and reading quilt blogs is how I start my day! A strong cup of coffee, a snuggly bathrobe and my blogs and I start to wake up. I have so many blogs I read on a regular basis, I needed a way to keep them organized. I needed a way to know when someone posted something new. I got a blog reader. It was cheap. Free, actually, and I love it!



I use Google Reader. Again, it is F R E E . You register, you start adding the addresses of blogs you read, you learn how to search for more quilt blogs right on Google Reader, and you're on your way! Bloglines is another blog reader, but I haven't tried it. You might want to give it a go.



While I really like using a blog reader, there is one part that I'm not especially thrilled about. Bloggers use different sites and programs to publish their blog. You are reading my blog, which uses Blogger.com . Some other people use Typepad or WordPress. There are many others. When I use my Google Reader, I can see portions of blogs and scroll through each one. But the settings on some individuals blogs are such that the pictures don't show up in the Reader.


Here is a view of what I see when someone has their blog set so that blog readers can see their beautiful photos. Thank you, http://theehandworks.typepad.com/ ! (The beautiful colors you see to your left.)
Sadly, some people have their settings such that the beautiful pictures and colors don't show in a blog reader. So sad. If that happens, you can still get to their blog by clicking on a link, but it kinda defeats the purpose of having a blog reader! If the writing isn't interesting, I don't click through. If it IS interesting, I'll go for it.

How many readers are YOU turning away? Do you know what your blog looks like in a BLOG READER? Maybe you should give it a try and see for yourself. Sure makes reading blogs more organized!

Only One Away From 50

No silly, not years. Already crossed that line, thank you very much. One more block to go before having 50 of my Dear Jane blocks completed! Yippie!

F 13 - Tour de France B 11 - Melissa's Cross

B 5 - Hot Cross Buns

B 7 - World Series

Think the Tigers will make it to the World Series this year? Fingers crossed...

Tonight is my final teaching class for my Wednesday night group, then next week the final. So another long day today.