Monday, June 27, 2011

Mystery

My quilt guild is doing a mystery challenge.  The pattern is by Debbie Maddy and she desinged it just for us.
Here are my fabric choices:

Most of these are from a collection called "Zen" that I bought at least 2 1/2 years ago.

I decided to take out the one on the left and added one that was even darker for more contrast.


This will be the border.  It and the green are the only two I had to buy.  The rest is from my stash--even the backing.
I'm excited to see what it will turn into.  It's a mystery.

Friday, June 24, 2011

More birthday celebrations


Remember these?  I started them back in February using the tutorial found here:http://magnoliabayquilts.blogspot.com/2010/01/string-blocks-tutorial.html

Actually, I don't need the tutorial anymore since this is the 3rd quilt I've made like this.

Yesterday was my first born's birthday.  She knows she's loved since I made the quilt for her.  She even said that...."I know I'm loved 'cause you made me a quilt". (the quilt is much darker than it appears in this picture).

Here she is with the fam.  At least part of them.  Gabe is away at Boy Scout camp and we sure do miss him.  Everyone except Timothy.  He's having a great time without his big brother.

Here's a close up of the all over quilting done by Loretta Rogers.

And here's a close up of the label I made for the quilt.  I got it sewn on about a half hour before Calista arrived at my house.  She and Chris went out to dinner without any kids.  Tim and I kept the little boys.  Timothy spent the night and we're off to have some fun today (which includes Target and the swimming pool in our neighborhood).  Hope you go have some fun, too!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Daddy

Father's Day 2011

When I think of my dad (who has been gone since 1978) I see him on a tractor.  He could drive a John Deere like a guy rode a bucking bronco.  He would stand up as he drove past the house down the hill and wave as he drove.  He drove a Ford tractor, too, but for some reason I remember him mostly on that big green John Deere.

My dad was a hard working man.  He had an 8th grade education and did anything and everything to support his wife and family.  When I was about 4 we moved to a farm where he spent most of the rest of his life working for another man to put food on our table.  It was a good place to live and grow up.  He and another man managed almost a thousand acres and several hundred head of Polled Herford cattle.  He could scrub the dirty face of a white faced bull until it sparkled like snow to show it off in a big cattle show.  And he would come in the house as dirty as anyone could get, covered with hay seed and sweat.

In my mind, Daddy could fix anything.  He was a mechanic, a handyman, a tree trimmer--you name it--he could do it all.  Yet, he was gentle enough to sit down with me and help me build an entire miniature town out of toothpicks once when we were flooded in behind the creek for a few days.  He also made a wooden neck for one of my Barbie dolls once when my cousin ripped her head off.

We had a good relationship and I think I was pretty special to him (being the only girl between 2 boys--UNTIL my little sister came along! haha).  I could wrap him around my little finger and he would let me do things that Mom probably would not have.  I'm sure he knew my manipulation yet he went along with it.

Daddy loved music and made sure I loved it, too.  He made sure I learned to play the piano so I could play in church.  Church music was what he loved.  He sang bass and even though I can no longer remember what he sounded like when he talked, I can occasionally hear him singing bass in my head.  He and I would sing together and I would play for him and Mom when they sang in a quartet.

Our last Christmas together, Daddy took Tim and me coon hunting.  We walked and ran all over the side of a small mountain in the dark chasing our dog as he chased a coon.  It's one of my best memories.  Another best memory is seeing him out in the field plowing.  He'd see me in the yard and whistle for me to bring him a drink of water.  I'd fill a Mason jar with ice and water and go running across the field to take it to him.  He'd take a break and we'd sometimes sit under a shade tree and talk a minute or two.

On June 28, 1978 that tractor bucked him off.  He was hit by a round bale of hay that knocked him to the ground and broke his neck.  He died a week later in the hospital.  33 years later....I miss my dad on this Father's day.  I love you, Daddy and look forward to seeing you again in heaven.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

On to a new project

My favorite part of quilting is starting a new project.  As soon as I finished the last applique I started this one.  The pattern is Kim McLean's "Flower Garden".  I'm excited about it.  So much fun.


Thursday, June 9, 2011

Happy Day!

I'm having company this weekend.  And I needed to get my house cleaned up.  It started in the guest bedroom where I had all my applique blocks neatly laid out on the bed.  One can't just stack those blocks up and put them away. 
.
I had finished this one earlier this week and it had found it's spot on the bed with the others.  So I decided to sit down and quickly put the blocks together so I could get the bed cleared off.  Several hours later, I finished the job but the house had still not been cleaned.  So tomorrow I'll have to get up extra early and get the house cleaned up before my company arrives in the afternoon.  To me, it was worth it, because this is how it turned out:


And I'm VERY, VERY HAPPY with the results.  I'm already on to the next project and have the first block of a new applique quilt done.  I think I'm addicted.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Early Summer

Since last I blogged I found out that Sew Neat in Joplin (that I visited just 3 weeks ago) was destroyed by the tornado.  I've heard that the owner is not going to try to build it back.  So sad.  My quilt guild (Green Country Quilters' Guild) has sent 40 small quilts over to help those in need in Joplin.  If you have a desire to make one, I'd be glad to get it there through our guild or other shops in the area that are helping.  Joplin is only an hour and a half from my home and is located in my home state of Missouri.

In other news:

My tennis elbow was a good excuse to get my daughter over here to do some weeding and planting for me.  (That, and the fact that I hate doing it and she doesn't mind).  She got a little help from the youngest member of the family.

He started out on the blanket....

....but that didn't last long.

There's something about dirt that attracts boys.

He likes rocks, too.  It comes from being the grandson of a geologist and a rock collector.

He'll be walking soon.

Recently we celebrated my second daughter's birthday.  Since it's so unusual to wrap a present in this family (in anything other than a Wal Mart bag) we thought we should get a picture of it.

Yes, I AM still sewing.  This is the next to the last border of my applique quilt.  The last one is almost done, too and soon I'll be putting it together.

In the meantime, I started the quilt that I'll use for my bedspread.  Nothing else matches since we painted the walls this past winter.  3 blocks done....78 to go.

The flowers are blooming...

These lilies are doing well.  The ones in the backyard are being eaten by a family of rabbits.

Somehow they managed to bloom anyway, even though they have hardly any leaves left.

This hydrangea survived the winter.  It's partner 2 feet away did not.  Sigh.

Skippy, our cat watches tv...

...for hours sometimes.  She changes positions from time to time and gets up for a snack and a bathroom break occasionally.

woops...more flowers.

My oldest grandson "graduated" from 5th grade and will go to a different school next year.  The second one finished kindergarten and tells me he'll be skipping 1st grade.  Since I don't have a picture of either, I thought I'd post a picture of my high school graduation some....years....ago.  Thanks to Jeff Neier for posting it on Facebook for all the world to see.