Friday musings

It's finally Friday and I'm seriously ready for some weekend time.  I finished quilting a lovely Hawaiian shirt quilt this week, but did not take pictures - you'll just have to imagine how lovely it was.  I also worked on the Vintage Valentine quilt, and on one of the antique quilts that I am repairing and adding borders to before I quilt them.  So, I have done a little quilting.

I didn't share about the trip I took to Illinois and Kentucky with my friend, Glenda.  It was so much fun and so relaxing!  We visited with a cousin of Glenda's, went to a quilt show, and visited the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky.  I was overwhelmed by the talent at both the quilt show and the museum, and came home with a new resolve the work on my quilting and improve the quality.

The Quilt Show was in Metropolis, Illinois (yes, the home of Superman)  - that is me standing by the statue!



I understand that the city has a Superman celebration in June every year - now that should be fun!  But it is also home to lots of history and beautiful parks, too.  We visited Fort Massac State Park, where they have encampments and battle reenactments of the Revolutionary War battles every October.  On the Ohio River, it is a beautiful site.    The quilt show was presented by the Massac Quilters Guild - they have some very talented quilters in their guild.  Glenda took lots of pictures - I didn't - but she has promised to share with me!  The National Quilt Museum was wonderful - I plan on revisiting it again - there is just too much to digest at one time.  I was most amazed by the collection of miniature quilts - so intricate, with quilting stitches so impossibly small.  We were not allowed to take pictures in the museum, so you'll just have to go see for yourself.

This is a shot of part of the Miniature Collection - straight from the website of the museum - there is as much detail in these small quilts as in a full size quilt -

Now that I'm home again, with new resolve, there are several things going on in my life that are taking center stage.  First, our daughter's wedding will be in a few weeks, so we are picking up speed on the details.  I still don't have a dress to wear, but shopping is planned for the near future.  I don't know about the bride, but I know that the mother of the bride is getting a little nervous about all the details.  Let's see - church-check, reception venue - check, food - check, limo - check, wedding dress - check, photographer - check, DJ - check, invitations - check, flowers - still working on it, and on and on.  

This should be a wonderful weekend - I have some quilting planned, and a new book to read.  Plus, my middle daughter has talked me into a new venture - I'll tell you all about it next week.  I'm a bit anxious about this one!  Until then, create something wonderful!

Loving the Weather!

The weather this past weekend and today is wonderful!  It is in the 80's and the sun is shining.  Since we have had many, many days of over 100 degree heat, this is heavenly!  I have opened windows and turned the AC off.  The weatherman tells us that the temps will go up again next week, but maybe, just maybe he/she is wrong!  I'd like for this to continue for awhile.  Some rain would also be welcome.
 
The wind has been blowing, and the drought we have been in is causing a lot of people a lot of grief.  There have been numerous wildfires all around Texas, and our heart goes out to those who are hurting.  I cannot even imagine what it must be like to lose everything you have to a fire - our prayers are with them as they heal.

I have been busy with customers quilts and have had little time to work on my own, but this weekend I took a break and got out a work in progress that has been around for several years.  It is an appliqued "Vintage Valentine" that was a block of the month at my LQS.  I kept up pretty well until the final block which was the medallion, and then three of the blocks were lost for several months.  So, it all got put in a box and shoved under the table.  I took it out, trimmed the blocks to the proper size and laid it out on the floor of the studio.  Now I am ready to border and quilt it.  If I'm really efficient, I might get it done before a certain wedding and it would make a nice surprise gift.  I am trying to embellish it some more, but I might wait until I finish quilting it.  Here's a pic I took of my studio floor last night!

What do you think?  Wedding gift? Or should I just keep it!! 

School has started here and my Texas grandkids are back in the groove.  The youngest started kindergarten this year and loves it.  My daughter sent a pic to me of the first day of class for both of them - I thought I would cry - I have many memories of my children on the first day of school. We took similar pics of them every year!

My other grandkids from the Northwest started school this week - I am waiting for those pics! 

I'm going on a road trip with a friend this next weekend, so I'll have a lot to report when I get back. Until then - spend some time in your studio and have fun.

 

Busy life!

It has been a while since I've blogged, but I've been busy, busy, busy!   Hubby and I went to New Orleans for a convention, and had a great time!  Two of our daughters went to college there, so we were pretty familiar with the city, but we still managed to find new places, new restaurants and met new friends!  We had beigneits and coffee, barbequed shrimp, gumbo, and hurricanes, walked until our feet were sore, and rode the streetcar many times!!  It was a fun trip! 

I finished a baby quilt for a little baby boy named Lucas, and sent it to the Northeast with my oldest daughter for delivery.  It was made of floating four patches - great use for scraps - and was quilted with a cute freeehand leaf pattern.  As you can see, it is very colorful!

I also quilted a star quilt for a friend - it was really large and the pic doesn't do it justice - I'm not sure I'd even attempt it!  I did a dense meander and it looked great .  It is to be a gift for her grandmother - hope she likes it!

My hubby has been busy with stuff around the homestead - he put up a new flagpole in the front yard - got this pic of him digging the hole to install it.  He loves his tractor - and is always finding new ways to use it.  I told him I wanted to plant some fruit trees and he was excited - he told me he could dig those holes using the auger on the tractor - doesn't take much to please him.  I do think the tractor takes second place to his golf clubs, though.  He tried to teach me to play a few years ago, but I was so terrible, he gave up.  I am not athletically inclined - but I never lost a golf ball - didn't hit it but ten feet at a time!  So, while he golfs, I quilt.  I admire that he plays so well, and he admires my handiwork.  It's a good system!

We have a full summer and fall ahead of us - we are wedding planning.  Our youngest daughter is getting married in October, so life is wonderful!  We have dresses purchased (except for mother of the bride), venues, photographers, limos, and DJ's booked, and are working on the rest of the details.  What is more exciting is that we are gaining another son - they are a great couple and we couldn't be happier! 

Quilty and gardening weekend

It was a beautiful weekend - sunny, warm, too pretty to stay indoors!  Hubby and I worked on the veggie garden - he brought home a pickup load of compost and we filled the raised beds.  Then we went to a friend's house and bought lots of bedding plants - tomatoes, peppers, herbs, squash, and kale.  It is all planted and I still have room for more!  This week we will tackle the flower beds.

I also worked on a quilt I still have on the frame, and organized the studio some more.  We got my new design boards up and I am pleased with how they look.

If you get a chance go over to KoolBeenz for the Moda Jelly Roll Give-away! 
The fabric is luscious - I can think of several quilts I could use it in! 

Hope everyone has a great week!

Progress - finally

It has been a busy, stressful few weeks, and I have had little time to go to my studio and play!  But, I have finally gotten to do that.  This week, my hubby and I both had some kind of bug, and we both stayed home from work on Monday, and part of Tuesday.  Today, I went to the office, but came home at lunch and slept all afternoon.  I really feel much better tonight! 

I am quilting a really pretty quilt for a friend and made some progress tonight.  It is a queen size quilt top, and is going to take longer than I thought it would.  I am quilting it freehand using one of Dawn Ramirez 's (the Pajama Quilter!) designs.  She made it look so easy in her video, and I used it in my Mystery Quilt on the piano key border.  It is fun and very forgiving. 

It should be finished by this weekend. 

I'm also working on a Raggedy Ann and Andy redwork quilt designed by Kaaren Johnston of The Painted Quilt blog.  It is so cute, and is a great stash buster quilt!  The first block is finished and I have block 2 and 3 in progress.  It will make a really cute baby quilt! 

Spring came for a few days, and then cold and wet weather hit again - that could explain my hubby's and my nasty bugs.  But it is supposed to be beautiful this weekend, so I can get out and finish planting the garden.  Hubby cleaned out all the raised beds for me last week, so I have no excuses left!  I'll post pics when I get it all planted!  Any suggestions on what I should plant this year!?

Spring is almost here!

I love Spring!  The flowers, trees, warm weather, - everything!  The trees around our house are blooming now, with little green leaves showing up, too.  I found asparagus coming up in my garden, and the chickens are once again laying well.  I just need another hour or two of daylight every day to get the garden ready for planting, and all will be right with the world! 

The playhouse is almost finished (finally)!  All we need to do is to caulk and paint, and then let the grandkids move in!  Their great aunt Patti has sent them a doormat (a cute frog!), a doorbell, and some battery operated lamps!  I'm sure we'll be doing some serious decorating soon.

UFO's

I noticed that I'm supposed to finish UFO #4 this month - oh, dear, that is my "Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll" - and I'm having a really slow start on it.  If I work on nothing else, I might get it halfway done this month, but there are still a lot of things I need to finish first - like the three quilts in line to be quilted for others!

I finished the binding on my Mystery Quilt - which I will call "Procrastination"  because I put off finishing it for so long.  It will hang on the wall overlooking the entry to our home - replacing a quilt that has been there for over ten years, and could use a good washing  and retirement on someone's bed!

Texas weather - gotta love it.  This past week it was beautiful!  Today, cold and windy.  I guess Spring is not quite here yet.  I had planned on cleaning out the garden today, but it is a bit chilly! No - make that cold.  My dear hubby said he would begin clearing out some of the weeds, but he got sidetracked trying to put up trim in the playhouse.  There is always tomorrow.