Red

Lately, I've  been obsessed with red.  I guess that's not entirely true.  At least not the "lately" part.  I've been a lover of red for just about as long as I can remember.  There was that red Easter dress in the 5th grade.  Mom made it and it was just what I wanted.  All swirly and flouncy.  

When I made my first quilt blocks when I was 8, Mom sashed them with red.  The quilt she made for me when I was 18 was also put together with red (at my request).  I had a red dress for the spring formal when I was in my second year of college, also made by Mom.  The dress she made me for my piano recital that same year was red velvet.  And to  top it all off, a few months later my bridesmaids wore red gingham dresses.  Yes, I said red gingham!  What can I say, it was the seventies.

So it should be no surprise that I'm making RED quilts.  My quilt guild is having our bi-annual show in June and we have a red theme along with a red quilt that will be raffled.  See more info at www.greencountryquiltersguild.com

There will be a special display of red and white quilts.  So I'm working on two.  This one is already at the quilter.

And this one is in pieces as I'm really trying to get it done in time for the show.

My Red Dresden quilt which has been traveling the country ground it's way back home a couple of weeks ago.  I'm out of wall space so I'm not sure where it will go.  For now it's resting on the guest bed.  It's hard work traveling the country!

Now for the parting shot.....a rare photo of all 4 of my grand kids together.....in front of a red quilt.

Two posts in one month!

I promised to be back and here I am!

Here's the little hanging I made for my BFF for Christmas.  

The pattern for the appliqué and embroidery is from Jenny of ELEFANTZ.

I've also been working on these leaf blocks.

They're the leftover pieces from this: (which still hasn't been quilted)

Here they all are out together.  It went together just like I graphed out on paper.  What a surprise! I did invisible machine appliqué on them.

I'm not sure I really like this top, but it was a successful experiment and it's done, so I feel like I accomplished something.  What do you think?

Happy New Year!

I'm a little late to be posting for the new year, but I guess better late than never.  It seems like I NEVER have time to blog anymore but I see that many of my fellow bloggers are having longer gaps between posts, too so I will just blog when I can.

We got to take our 3 grandsons to Silver Dollar City near Branson, MO right before Christmas.  I could write a novel (a tragic novel) about the number of times we've  attempted to go at Christmas time to see the lights.  Some would call it comical.  Well, we finally did it!

We've attempted to go so many times that our family now refers to Silver Dollar City as "that place that shall remained unmentioned".  We made it through the day and arrived back in Springfield where we were spending the night with Tim's dad and stepmom.  I immediately knew something was wrong when I noticed I was freezing and that my hands were shaking uncontrollably.  After a very long night in the bathroom, I ended up in the ER the next day with a bad case of CDif (ALL cases of CDif are bad!!). This is the third time in 10 years that I've had this colon infection.  I'm still dealing with it but feeling much better now,  just hoping and praying it stays away for good!  It's very hard to get rid of!

Anyway, I ended 2015 having reached a goal of losing 30 pounds.  I started Weight Watchers on June 30 and reached my goal weight by Dec. 1.  The CDif just helped me maintain it and lose a few more pounds.  Haha.  ( CDif is NOT a recommended weight loss plan!)

In my last blog post I told you that my big appliqué project was done and was with my quilter, Donna T. 

She started quilting it last weekend and has been sending me updates.  Today, she tells me she has all the background and borders done and is starting the quilting on the appliqué pieces.  Here's a little peek.

She told me that since my appliqué is very random she decided to do the quilting very random, too. I'm so glad I have a quilter I can trust!  I'm so happy with what she's done so far!  

Until next time........which I hope is not months from now!

Applique

I've finished the big project I've been working on.  Well, at least I've finished the appliqué.  The quilter has it now and will be studying it for a while.  It will be making it's debut at the 2016 Green Country Quilters' Guild Show in June in Tulsa, Oklahoma. So here's another little sneak peek. 

Back again!

I can't believe how long it has been since I've blogged.  I really want to blog, but something seems to get in the way every day.

Since I last wrote anything, summer has come and gone.  

Tim and I took a wonderful, long trip (5700 miles by mini van) for our 40th wedding anniversary.  Our daughter (photographer extraordinaire) took this picture of us.

We visited 3 states I had never been to before: Nebraska, Washington and Oregon.  And also had fun in others we had both visited before:  Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, California, Utah, Colorado, Kansas.

We kissed on the beach in Washington

Stood in the rain on the beach in Oregon

And picnicked on the beach in California

We visited at least 10 quilt shops and had just as many geology lessons!  It all evened out.  It's what marriage is all about.....a little give and take, right?

We visited "Craters of the Moon" in Idaho and Mt. Ranier in Washington. Also, saw the Redwood Forests.    And one of the highlights (especially for me) was to see my Red Dresden quilt hanging in the ”Quilt, Knit, Stitch" show in Portland,Oregon.  Yes, it's still traveling.  I won't get it back until December 2016 so it was fun to see it in another major show.  Our friends John and Cindy met us there and then we went back to their house in Reno where Cindy and I visited 4 or 5 quilt shops and dug through her fabric stash for a few days!  And boy, does she have a stash!!!!

I have about a thousand pictures but obviously can't post them here.  We had an amazing time that I will cherish for the rest of our lives.  And while I'm on the subject of the rest of our lives......

I'm sitting in the hospital where Tim was to have a "routine" outpatient surgery yesterday.  While being put under general anesthesia his heart stopped for 2-3 minutes and he had to have drugs and CPR to be brought back.  Folks, don't wait too late to know your destination!  God is waiting for you to seek him!  My true love was ready to go and knows Jesus in a personal way, but I was not ready to let go of him, even after 40 years!  God must have more for us to do together.  Tim is doing fine and is being tested for heart issues.  The cardio doc thinks his heart is fine and this was just a fluke and something called "vasovagal response".  It's the same thing that causes people to faint except that it's unusual for the heart to complety stop.   I'm looking forward to more time with this guy and will certainly look at life a lot differently from now on.  I'm writing a blog.....not planning a funeral!  Thank you, Lord!

Quilt Show

About a month ago I had the privilege of entering some of my quilts in a show in Caledonia, MO.  Caledonia is where I grew up.  We happened to have planned a trip to Missouri to work on cleaning out my husband's folks' house (not a fun or happy job).  My sister had told me about the upcoming quilt show and I planned to go.  A couple of days before we left she informed me that it was not too late to enter quilts and encouraged me to do so.

SO.......I entered 3 quilts plus one of our mom's (in the vintage quilt category).  My sister also entered her first quilt.  All three of us in a show!  How exciting!  This would have thrilled our mom!

Caledonia is a tiny town and I DO mean tiny!  Less than 150 people.  A couple of ladies put the show together in a couple of months.  Proceeds were to go to help with repairs to the oldest Presbyterian Church west of the Missisisppi and it happens to be in Caledonia.  The local bank donated a $300 cash award for the Best of Show which would be voted on by the attendees.

And guess what?!?!?  I WON!!!!  I won Best of Show plus blue ribbons on the three quilts.  Sister won a third place ribbon on hers!

Aren't the ribbons lovely?

Here is Greta with her quilt.

And mine:

My neice, Lora Beth, me  and my sister Greta.

This is Greta and her friends from work plus her daughter.  They're all learning to quilt.  Later that afternoon, I showed them how to put a binding on and then we had a little class on quilt labeling.  We had so much fun!

And here's my mom's quilt.  Here's the story:  when Mom was 4 she would go to the church quilting bee with her mom and grandma.  She was the only kid there so the ladies taught her to hand piece.  She made the blocks and on her 5th birthday (which was also her grandma's birthday) the ladies put the blocks together and quilted it.  That was on March 9, 1938.

The show was well attended and I think everyone had a great time!

Round Robin

The last rounds have been added to the quilt top my stitch group is doing for a veteran's home.  Six of us worked on it. It's done now and ready to be quilted.  I think it turned out very well!