Multiple Sclerosis - “ONE-SQUARE-AT-A TIME” QUILT PROJECT

Do you or someone you know have Multiple Sclerosis?

If so, please join the CMSC “ONE-SQUARE-AT-A TIME” QUILT PROJECT.

Some of you know I work for Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy, and Multiple Sclerosis is one of the disease states that is in our “Center of Excellence.” I am working on a square for the quilt, and hope you will as well. Stay tuned, and very shortly I will share my square with you. Please consider participating! It is another way that quilters can do what they love to raise money for a worthy cause.

Online Stalkers

I added Google Analytics to my arsenal of blogging tools about a month ago. The results are very interesting, but one in particular is kind of eerie. Using Analytics, you have the ability to see what keywords people have been using to get to your website. For some reason, there is one set of words I never expected to see be in the top for drawing in visitors: “Caron Mosey Family.” This begs the question, WHY?

I never put anything online that I feel any hesitation about posting. I enjoy sharing my love and joy for my family with my online friends. But SHOULD I share it? Does our family have a stalker? Is there someone out there who is keeping watch over what we do? Or are my fellow quilters just curious?

To set you at ease, nobody in my family is a celebrity. Other than my oldest son who happened to land on a Sam Bernstein commercial, we are not on TV, in the movies, or in politics. We are not rich. You cannot profit from us. There is nothing to get… even if you squeeze! We are a close-knit family, and intend to stay that way. You can’t marry into the family – we are all taken and will remain that way.

So those of you searching for the “Caron Mosey Family” on a regular basis, make yourself known!

The Prize Babies - 1888

This is one of my favorite antiques in my home. My mother-in-law was an antique dealer, and she gave me this one Christmas years ago. On the back is a label that says "The Prize Babies" copyright 1888. It is a CHROMOLITHOGRAPH. You can read about the process that is used to create something like this here and read about the creator, Louis Prang, here. I don't know too many people who can resist a picture of an adorable baby. This is on my wall just above another adorable baby... my first grandchild, Jacob.

When Jacob was still in his Mommy's tummy, I made him a little quilt with dog houses on it. It was hand quilted, and it had all my love, heart, hopes and prayers stitched into it over a period of about seven months.

This "Country Barns" quilt was made for my first baby, Sean, in 1977. Sean is Jacob's Daddy.
Who makes quilts for other "prize babies?" You know, those adorable babies of celebrities? I was sitting here looking at my "prize babies" and wondered what the quilts of celebrities look like. Who makes them? What do they look like? You just know that they will be great... probably hand quilted and flawless. Can you find pictures of them online? So I did a search. I didn't have luck. Can you find some?

I challenge you to spend a few minutes and look for baby quilts for famous babies. If you find some, let us know by posting the website address in the comments area below. It would be great if you could include photos on YOUR blog and link to them in the comments! Let's see what we can find! (I'll keep looking, too!)

Caron, Where Are You?

I've had a few people email me and ask me if everything is alright. You're right...you haven't heard from me in awhile! Summer has taken over my life and my bird garden. Can you see the birdbath in the picture? It's almost totally hidden by the Artemesia!

So, what have I been doing? Hmmmm. Here's a glance at a quilt border...







and a quilt block to go in my basket quilt.

Four days ago I joined SparkPeople. I need to be healthier, thinner, and gorgeous for my baby's wedding next spring. So it's about time I did something!



Join the Web's Best Nutrition & Fitness Program!

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Last weekend Dean and I met up with Loren, Margaret and her parents to look at a house they wanted to buy. It is gorgeous, located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Everyone gave it a big thumbs up, and on Monday they put in an offer. Tuesday, they got the word they were hoping to hear: YES! They are so excited, and so are we. They close on the house in about a month, so I need to work on the muscles in my arms and back. Sounds like a moving party to me!

What have YOU been up to?

Progress is Made

I'm having fun with this "little" quilt. It's growing! Right now, measuring 32 inches square... stay tuned!

New Quilters - So Much to Learn!

Do you remember when you first started quilting? I remember it seemed like there was SO much to learn all at once, and I saw so many beautiful quilts and wanted one every bit as beautiful.

My mom was a very accomplished seamstress. Starting when she was about fourteen, she sewed much of her clothing... and mine! Her wedding dress and coat to wear over it (New Year's Eve wedding in Michigan), my snow suits and dresses... Until she passed away two years ago, she had only one sewing machine - a Singer Featherweight. It is now in my possession.

When mom first taught me to sew, she gave me a piece of notebook paper and sat me down in front of her machine. She had me sew on the straight lines with an empty needle, and encouraged me to watch the pressure foot, not the needle. In time, my lines became more straight. I was only about eight years old, and sewing on the paper became very tedious. But I learned, and today I can sew a good straight line.

What did you learn first when you began quilting? Please leave your comments in the space below, and cast your vote on the poll to the right.

Applique - Check!

Remember the block I started here? I set my mind to it and finished it this weekend... at 8:30 PM Sunday night. YIPPIE!





Thank you, Microsoft clipart! I love this pattern!

Lanterns Lacking in Luminosity

This is one lantern.

This is a bunch of them before I began the quilting. The quilt is called

"Paper Lanterns."



I'm trying to put a different quilting design in each of the lanterns, and I'm running out of any ideas. If you have any, I'd LOVE to hear from you, please!!! Ronda? Vicki? Carla? Dolly? Susan? Mark? Ami? Anybody?

If you leave a comment or question that requires an answer, please include your email address for a reply. I can't send an answer if your blogger ID is set to either "anonymous" or "no reply". Thanks!!

Are you a name dropper?

It annoys me when people think that mentioning important people in a conversation will cause them to appear more important. But did you know that if you drop names on your blog, it actually might get you more hits? One blog I read regularly, Happy Zombie had an article today about getting increased hits on her blog for a previous entry about Mike Rowe. Now, people searching for Debbie Rowe (ala Jackson fame) are landing on her quilt blog!

So it caused me to wonder if it really works. Let's try it! I'll start and use some kinda-sorta-famous names of people and places in this blog entry. I know that links help, so I'll do a quickie search and see if I can toss some links in here somewhere. You do the same on yours, and let's see what it does, OK? Just blather on. See what happens. Right now my hit counter is at 29,153. I will report back in one week, next Friday, July 17th.

Here goes my attempt:

Jinny Beyer sat and stitched on my Tumbling Blocks quilts in the 1980's when we taught at a conference together. I treasure that quilt. Speaking of quilting, I attended, taught at and had a quilt hanging in the very first AQS show in Paducah. Gosh, I'm old! Caryl Bryer Fallert's work was included in my second book. I met Doris Day and Carrie Fisher back in the mid 1970's at the Minskoff Theater in NYC. My brother was in the men's room at an airport once with John McCain. John came out of the stall and walked up to someone and immediately shook his hand. Then he left the bathroom... yes, without washing his hands! Gross! I love listening to and watching Lionel Richie sing. Always have. He did a great job at the Michael Jackson Memorial, don't you think? I went to Interlochen for a few summers in the early to mid 1970's. Leslie Giammanco was there at the same time I was, and was also in the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta "Patience." Now, Leslie is on Broadway and working as a vocal coach in NYC. Talented girl, that Leslie! Speaking of famous people, I'd like to see an image of Jesus Christ somewhere unexpected sometime. You know how people see Him on rocks, in trees, in cereal... like that! I think that would be cool! He's not even close to being in the same category as Jesus, but Michael Moore and my husband Dean Mosey (hey, I think he's famous!)were in a wedding together years ago.

Ok, I am done blathering. Get the idea? See if it helps your hit counter. If it doesn't, at least you added one fun blog entry!

Now it's YOUR turn!

If you leave a comment or question that requires an answer, please include your email address for a reply. I can't send an answer if your blogger ID is set to either "anonymous" or "no reply". Thanks!!

A Couple of Quick Mentions

Number 1: My Father-in-Law just got home from the hospital. He went in July 3rd. Home now for two weeks, then back for another procedure.

Number 2: I would be happy for Paris Jackson and her two brothers to move in with us. And no, not for the money. They seem like great kids who need some normality in their lives. Paris needs to learn how to quilt.

Number 3: Yes, I started a new quilt. Felt compelled to applique something. Did you know that your Microsoft Word program has lots of GREAT applique designs built into it? Like this one? Snoop around in the fonts and clipart for something you like, blow it up ALMOST to smitherines in Word, then print. Enlarge on the copy machine to get the size you want, and VOILA! You got yerself a darn great pattern, by golly! (This one is not nearly completed... just wait until you see it finished!) And no, I'm not related to Sarah Palin.

Stay tuned for more applique excitement to come.

If you leave a comment or question that requires an answer, please include your email address for a reply. I can't send an answer if your blogger ID is set to either "anonymous" or "no reply". Thanks!!

It's July? Already?

Someone told me today that it is July 6th. What happened to the 4th of July? I missed it! For the past year and a half, someone in our family has been in the hospital at almost every holiday. This time, it was my Father-in-Law. He went in to the ER Friday morning, and he's scheduled for a procedure tomorrow, Tuesday. No telling how long he will be there. So, needless to say, we spent most of the weekend at McLaren Hospital. My husband is an only child, so there isn't anyone else to help out, which we are glad to do anyway. But it's getting a little wierd having to be at a hospital every holiday! GEESH!

Tomorrow is the memorial service for Michael Jackson. I've been angered by the media frenzy surrounding the moments and days (weeks?) after his death, yet I have listed to the news and watched television. I guess what has drawn me to pay attention is the sad life he has lived. Through all his talent and good, he has been mocked and ridiculed by so many people. He has had a few people close to him, standing by him through thick and thin. He was put on trial. His family has supported him. He had people who betrayed him, and people who wanted to believe him, yet could not bring themselves to do so. He loved children, and children loved him. He was gentle to animals, and had such a tender way with them. He was known by many names, including King. He was different. He was unusual. I know of another man years ago (2000 some years ago) who faced similar hardships.

Michael may also be more popular after his death. Time will tell. Shame on us for being a part of this media madness. Shame on us for judging him and finding fault with his unusual lifestyle and way of life. No one deserves this. Not in this generation, and not in generations past.

May you finally be at peace.

If you leave a comment or question that requires an answer, please include your email address for a reply. I can't send an answer if your blogger ID is set to either "anonymous" or "no reply". Thanks!!