Lap quilt

I finished this lap quilt before I left for AZ last week. Thanks to GlenEllen for the already cut raggy blocks she gave me last week I could whip this up and send it off to Kristin at Waco Mission. When this quilt is washed the cut edges will fray and soften up nicely. Perfect size to cuddle up with in a chair. I will send it to Waco and Kristin can give it away to someone who needs a little 'cuddle'.
I really liked sewing this up with the already cut edges, it was fast and with my bum thumb having the edges done already was a treat. I really think a raggy die for the Sizzix might be a fun thing to have.

Arizona

I'm in Az for the week. My mom has lived here for a year and is ready to move a few things home to NE so I flew down to help her. Today we are going sightseeing around Bisbee. I will snap a few pic's with her camera and share them later. I'm not sure I like really hot weather(115 in Phoenix) and 108 in Tucson where we checked out the flea market last night. I did watch a really cool lighting and rain storm on the way here, spotty rain thru the mountains. Ok off we go...

just hangin' out

Summer is here and we're just hangin' out on the deck with the pets. Evenings and sometimes supper outside when it's not raining....I planted garlic in my planter on the deck, so much for flowers...hehehehe! It's been wet here and gardening has not fit in my weird schedule very well so when the planter was still empty the first of June I filled it with garlic that was past it's prime for cooking. I also put winter onions in my flower bed, it was the only space cleared when they needed to go in so in they went.

Sammy thinks he is supposed to sit on my lap if I'm on the deck, then he chases Blackie the cat away from me. (sorry no pic of Blackie...thanks Sammy) He don't mind him in the house but if he finds him on the deck, watch out! The chase begins!

This is Gavin's Point Dam on the Missouri river in Yankton SD. We made a side trip on the way to camp this year to see the water flow from the dam. They say there is more water coming thru this dam than Niagara Falls. The dam road is still open on weekends but this was Monday so we took the long way around to get on the SD side to get this close. I didn't want to be sprayed with river water so this is close enough. The flooding is bad and I think it's only going to get worse for folks down stream. I know some of my family and friends might lose everything and I worry and pray for them. I am busy working on quilts for this tragedy because that's what I do. Oh and I have a great sidekick who keeps me on track (Sara) and my mom will be here for a few months to help me too.

Bathroom redo

Here's my before bathroom, boring white and grey. I redid it 3 years ago when Kristin graduated from High School. Oh my it was in serious need of paint and such. So before Josh graduated this spring I decided to paint and redecorated from pale frogs to bright frogs.

Wow! I thought I could pick paint at the store, well I got mint instead of sage.........oh well, no changing now, I replaced the rugs and shower curtain(that is a giant frog on the curtain if your wondering) and found vintage frog pictures at the same thrift store. I also made the curtain, but didn't measure it when I sewed it so it's a little short for my liking. I'm on the look out for another table cloth in the right colors to remake curtains. I also found a frog can for my plunger. I figured I spent $32.00 dollars on my makeover. Paint being $26.00. I liked the frog knobs on my cabinet so I kept the soap dish and such and just added a few new frogs and brightened up things just a bit. I will be happy with the redo until Brad graduates, who knows what I will do in 2 years to my poor bathroom!

something to show

I got a call from one of the quilt group members needing a quilt to send to a soldier serving in Afghanistan. A local boy the church in Creighton is sending a care package to. Not the fanciest quilt I've put together but it's something from home and the gals were sure happy to send it.

This quilt now lives in our living room. The kids love it, I love it and Sammy the dog really loves it! I thought they would put it away for summer but the flannel feels good when the evenings are cool. This is one that I quilted last January and just got it bound this last month....talk about slow.........

I love UFO's! Sure I know I'm weird and have hording tendencies but other people's UFO's really make me happy. For $.25 I can set this little kit beside my chair and work on it in the evening when I'm watching stupid TV. Heck it might turn into a UFO someone else will think about finishing someday.....sure I love UFO's but that don't mean I actually finish them.

Oh another sideways pic, well anyway Sara and I are working on dresses for Africa. We cut 14, have 2 done and the rest are in process. She did pretty well helping me pick trims and sewing the center backs, she didn't care for adding elastic and didn't even want to try the arm binding part. I can deliver them to the thrift store in Ewing when they are done, I love local drop offs, postage just kills me.

Not much else going on around here, the kids are hanging out and the garden needs a little help......going to mud some plants in today, the rain just keeps coming.........

maybe later

Today I will quilt. Yes I'm going to quilt. YES I'M GOING TO QUILT! (yes I'm yelling at myself) I have lots to do for other people and more to do for myself but I just keep planning more projects.......keep making more kits........keep digging deeper in my studio......oh to have more ambition. Well anyway yesterday Sara and I started cleaning the studio, we got a space cleared out of the main room for her sewing desk and machine. Stuff gathered for sale at the Farmers Market (if I take it all) and lots of things sorted. I found a few treasures also, it's like shopping in my own stash. Sara wants to make a few things so she sorted her projects and will soon be wanting help finishing them up, pillowcases for her room, holiday wall hanging with removable things for each month, denim purse from a skirt for her friend(ok I've had the skirt for over two years) and she has sock monkey fabric she's dying to use. I think maybe later I'll show up here with pic's.

Some days

Some days things just don't go like they should, cat on my quilt frame? Shouldn't happen but it does. Rain Memorial weekend? Same feeling. Tired to the bone from 3 days at work and two long nights at the bar. Ditto. I know today will be the day I do housework and sleep, the weather is dull and dreary and my house is getting deep because I have not been home to crack the whip with these teenagers that live here. I made a trip to Omaha last Monday to deliver Mom and Kristin, a trip to Norfolk for eye appointments, made jam on Wends day and worked Thursday, Friday and Saturday. (got lots of sewing done and a few good sales too!) I also took the night shifts at the bar to help out with the weekend alumni traffic. Friday was so busy I had to have a customer call the boss to come help me...wow! Last night the last hour was a big rush after the class parties. Tonight will be interesting as we're catering the alumni dance and having the bar open. I did get kind of lucky and don't have to be there till 8. I like my part time jobs but sometimes I think all the shifts shouldn't happen on the same weekend, just like that cat on my quilt frame.

Uncle Danny

My Uncle Danny passed away on Easter, I was there in the hospital with him for the last two days of his life. My Mom was in Az and my Aunt Donna in Kansas City so Kristin drove me down to Co. Bluffs when I got the news he was on Comfort Care Friday night. I chased all the creepiest friends away when I arrived and only his true friends would show their faces to his family and stop in to check on him with us there. My Aunt and Uncle John along with Adam made it up Saturday and we kept each other company until Sunday when I had to leave about noon. Kristin had to go back to college and I had to work. John and Adam left about the same time to care for animals and Adam had a job interview the next day. My Aunt Donna stayed with him until the end, I'm glad she was there. I know he was waiting for us all to leave before he could let go peacefully. The 14th we had a small service at the church next to my grandma's house with family and the 6 of us (mom, me, Sara, John, Donna and Adam) went to the cemetery. My Aunt wrote a poem for Danny, I find it very fitting of his life and want to share it here.

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  Daniel Nile Wilson


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  Born November 20th, 1954


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  Died April 24th 2011


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  What was he looking for? By Donna Brooks


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  What was he looking for?


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• 
  
  No one ever knew


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  Even as a child,


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  What was he looking for?


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  He was a little wild.


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  Trouble seemed to find him,


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  Even when he hid,


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  What was he looking for?


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  When trouble he would bid.


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  The rules he did not follow,


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  He lived life his way


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  What was he looking for?


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  Never did he say.


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  Now the end has come,


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  Free from all life's strife


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  What was he looking for?


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  Throughout his troubled life.
  

Mission Waco

Kristin will be spending 10 weeks at Mission Waco in Waco TX. She is an intern with the theater dept. (or anything else they need). missionwaco.org I checked out the web site today, they are really busy down there! I noticed there are a lot of programs for adults as well as a summer theater program for kids. I think I will donate a few items to the Clothesline, its a resale shop who's sales go to a program for rehab. I also have some craft items that will be put in the box along with the hats I make. I will be sending Kristin a care package or two so adding a few extras won't hurt. I would love to send money but the plane ticket and new clothes for the kid kind of ate up the cash.....so I will do what I can along with lots of prayers!

Challenge

I issued a challenge to my fellow quilt group members. I gave them each a jacket front and back panel and told them to use it. It was blues with a flower pot on it and jacket shaped. It also had the instructions printed on the fabric around the panel. The top pic is mine, I used the blues in my pink and blue string quilt (I'm channeling my inner 80's loving quilter). I decided to use up a bunch of mauve's and blues, not sure how big it will be when totally done, hopefully big enough for my bed.

Here's a pic with every ones challenge, Flicsha made the bags, Luanne made the small quilt, Linda made the RWB string blocks and Anita made the table runner.

Close up of Luanne's small quilt, you can really see what the panel looked like from this pic.

Here's mom's bags, she even used the instructions in the bags.......and she used everything! Just kept making things with the scraps!

Anita's table runner is on the left and more of Linda's blocks. We were missing a few members so it will be fun to see how they used them next month.

Kristin's play

OK I thought I had this sideways pic thing fixed..........oh well turn your head and look at them. Kristin was costume designer for her friend Andrew's play, The Bird Boy. He wrote and directed it both. Her friend Isaiah was property designer and the crew made over 2000 paper cranes for the show. I was very impressed with the show and I think Andrew has a future in writing 'Lifetime' movies. (oh and he's a fantastic actor too)

Kristin said her design was mostly a scavenger hunt as the play was set in modern Seattle. Sara and I really enjoyed the production and our time spent with Kristin too.

Look...I'm one of those people who take pic's of everything! (that's what Kristin says) well I blinded the audience before the show with the flash on the camera. It amazes me how much my girls look alike, they always have. In baby pic's sometimes I have to look at the background instead of the girl to tell who the pic is of, especially when Sara is wearing Kristin's hand me downs. It's funny but all Kristin's college friends know when her family shows up for a show because of Sara. They are hollering for Kristin even before we can ask for her.

graduation

My kids and a couple friends at Josh's party.

Here we are, the whole family. I'm really proud of my kids, they are growing up to be extraordinary people. Josh graduated 3rd in his class and will be attending Northwestern next year majoring in history and writing. He also has a job for the summer. Kristin will be a missionary in Waco TX at an inner city youth mission for 10 weeks. Brad has a new summer job starting when he gets out of school and Sara is doing small jobs also, babysitting, mowing, helping her mom.......oh and drivers ed!

Grad presents

Kristin made presents for her friends graduating from college this spring. She put these quilts together at Christmas time and I quilted the bottom 3 in January. The top quilt I finished for her on Mother's day and she bound it before she went back to school that evening.

The middle two quilts are made from recycled sheets. I love vintage sheets! Reminds me of summer nights when I was a kid, sleeping with the windows open, to hot for even a sheet to cover up with but by morning being cold and looking for that sheet. The sheets now days just don't have the same feeling, oh don't get me wrong, I love my high thread count Egyptian cotton but small print cotton from the 60's are to die for and the white heavy cotton I got from my grandma..........oh are they nice!

I think I'm going to have to have one similar to this green beauty, big enough for a king size bed to remind me of summer nights. I have a pretty good stash of sheets now to just get busy sewing! I am also on the look out for a king size set for my bed but they are hard to find that big in a set, guess I'll just keep looking at thrift stores and junk shops. (I know they made them, my Mom had a king size bed in the 70's)

Kristin called me in a panic on Monday, the green was on the white after washing. I told her to go buy a fabric dye magnet and maybe a bleach pen. She found a Shout fabric dye sheet on a table in her hallway where every one puts things they don't want or need before moving out of the dorms. It worked and saved her gift quilt. I'm happy to report the friends loved their quilts and Kristin was happy to give them something she made.

May has been a busy month, my Mom has been here two weeks, graduation for Josh and Sara, work, cleaning, parties and my uncle died on Easter. I have pic's to share of most events so just be patient with me and I'll get started soon!

bindings

Yesterday I worked on bindings, not my favorite part of quilting that's for sure! I have had these quilted since January and sitting in a pile on my sewing desk. I started binding the smallest quilts and still have 5 more to go. Above is my Tiger quilt, I had a yard of the tigers and half a yard of the dark rust. I bought the fabric with a pillowcase in mind but when I got this book(no I can't remember the name) I turned it into a small quilt. I hope to do a few more of these quilts in the future, I have the fabric bought for an oriental version and a tropical iris with orange and turquoise colors.

UFO alert!!!! This little stack and whack fan is about 12 years old now. Mom made it when she was doing Fan classes. The blocks were cut from a pre-print 30's panel. Some of the coolest fan blocks were made from pillow panels and this was a quilt panel she found on the shelves of my quilt shop. It hung on the wall and made the class rounds as a top and when I closed the shop I kitted it up with back and binding with plans to quilt it someday. It lived at Mom's awhile and then it finally made it to the 'to be quilted shelf". I like to do baby quilts when I get a pile of odds and ends batting, it's easier to piece small bits of batting for baby quilts and I like using up leftovers. This little quilt does have two stains that must be treated in the wash before being given away, with all the traveling this quilt has done it's no wonder there are spots and stains.

I picked up this print fabric in Fremont in their sale room FQ's awhile back.....ok over a year ago...well anyway I matched the green from our sale room and pink from the front and this little baby quilt was born. It was a challenge to myself to make something out of the 2 FQ's, oh and it was a challenge because it was hard to match and not much fabric to make anything bigger. I'm happy with the end result and a sweet baby girl will love it I'm sure.

Last but not least in my binding day was this bright little quilt. I made all the blocks and had them pinned to a design board. Kristin set them together and added borders. Most of the fabric came from work.

look what I found...

I found these in the laundry room...........momma cat had them in this basket turned sideways in the corner so they were caged in. I moved them into a dog crate and momma sleeps in there with them during the night. This weekend I am taking them to my friend Al's house so they can be barn cats. It's so much fun watching them and the puppies together.

Sara is excited to play with her new machine from Mom. I picked up a few 4 inch squares from a garage sale over the weekend. The 4 inch ruler was included in the sale too.

Also picked up some jewelery at the garage sale, it was fun to add to my collection. I am going to tear apart a few things and remake them........like the ladybug pin......the heart key chain...maybe the gold circle necklace....and the hoop earrings I'm just going to wear. I love hoops and its fun to wear a different pair everyday. (for $.25 each I can afford to change it up)

I finally put binding on some quilts! These two are Heartstrings quilts, the top one was sent to me to finish and the bottom one is a Project Pink from a few years ago, I am so close to finishing that project.....whew! Not sure where they will end up or how soon they will be given away as I'm trying to get things pulled together for graduation and Easter.

little project

I found this metal hamper at a thrift store last week. $3 bucks for the hamper and $4 for the paint. I really thought about keeping it for my room but the berry pink paint screamed SARA so she is the lucky girl who got a new hamper for her room.

When she got home from school I handed her the glue gun and told her to jazz it up with the plastic stones. She calls it bejeweling..........I call it funny! I sat outside with her and chrocheted scrubbies and enjoyed the weather. Oh and played with the dogs too. (also painted a metal shelf that you can see behind the hamper, she bejeweled it also)

And here's the finished project, for $7 she has a new personalized hamper that looks cool in her room and the best part is we did it together.

a box from my mom

I started with the center FQ for this baby quilt(sent by Mom). The yellow is brand new at work and I thought it was perfect for a baby quilt. I ended up with a 38x48 quilt. I thought the animals were to big to cut up into smaller blocks and the way they were on the fabric there was no fussy cutting them unless I wanted to applique them onto something. I always like bright baby quilts and this one will go into my stash for gifts or for sale.

Another 10 minute table runner, now I have 5 of them to finish with buttons on the ends. The blue fabric is lighter on the ends, not just my camera making it look that way. Below is a pillow case for Brad, he was complaining that I never bring him cool presents......so I thought of him yesterday and made it green to look good with his green bedding.

Mom sent me a box and a package this week, the box was a sewing machine! Now Sara(or Kristin) and I can sew at the same time! The package held some beading supplies and fabric. I collect cat fabric and there was a piece that had names of cats all over it with paw prints in olive green and black. THEN..........DOG FABRIC! It makes me giggle to think of my mom sending me dog fabric, I really do love it and to prove it I used some of it yesterday. It was fun making things with it and I have plans for more of it but ran out of time.

long week

I wanted something similar to the color of the necklace in the middle(my mom's from the 70's, she had rockin' style) but a bit longer and more eclectic, so I strung the cream and gold beads two lengths and attached them to a gold chain I found in mom's stash. Also made small drop earrings and a bracelet. Not sure if I'm done with this one yet, might add a pin of some kind to the side where it connects to the chain and maybe some ribbon or something........just not sure.

Found this cool pink bead in mom's box(yes I love her box of stash beads and jewelry) and it spoke Spring to me so Sara and I dug thru a bowl of mixed beads and found silver to string the pink bead with. I made it short, 16-17 inches so it fits close to the neck and added the extender to made it just a bit longer if needed, also like the extender hanging down the back now that I have short hair.

Quilt group last night was fun, we worked on chairty quilts and Anita got this one pieced and ready to quilt so now I have to get busy! We also gave a quilt to Linda P. to deliver to a gal she knows who is sick and in the rest home with cancer. Sandy took a baby quilt to give to her friend who's baby was born with some facial problems. It's always nice to give them away when needed.

This is my latest sample for work, oh I can't wait till all the kits sell and I can take it home!!!!

Josh had a good time at prom, and everyone look....he's smiling!

More quilts

These two quilts are samples for work. I love to play with color and love to sew up two of something in different color ways just to see the possibilities. I really thought the pink would be my favorite but the green is really speaking to me.

Sara is modeling one of the necklaces I made tonight, I found the butterfly pin at the thrift shop in Creighton for a buck, the beads are out of an assortment pack I bought years ago and the chain is leftover from charm bracelets. I love to repurpose jewelry and make something old new again. I made a few more goodies but no pic's tonight. I picked up quite a few cool things at the thrift shop today, it was a fun trip and now I have something new to build with for spring jewelry. I also have mom's box of beads and old jewelry. (oh my it's like a treasure!) I used a gold link chain and some of her beads tonight too. Thanks Mom!

Sara bought robot charms while in Omaha, tonight I helped her put them on chains. I tried to add beads and more charms but she vetoed me and insisted she liked them plain. Oh she did steal the pearl beads I picked up from the thrift shop today to layer with the robots......I kind of like her funky/girly style.