Starting of 2021

Good Morning,  I think it is about time to do a catch up again.

Life sure does have a way to throwing things in your way.

I am still recovering from back surgery.  I had taken a fall in January that I think created

a whole new series of problems.  I basically had been in pain for a bunch of months.

Not a good thing when there is a pandemic in the mix. 

Finally, surgery was scheduled for October. I had to have L-4 and L-5 fused

together. I could not get used to how quickly all my pain and issues went away.

Wow, my life changed so much.  I was tired, and could not stay focused very well.

I had good health in my favor. After three more months of doing next to nothing, I felt like 

it was time to get back to sewing.

This quilt top had been in the works for several years.  I had about 25 block 8 inch blocks

done.  I thought this would be one I could finish up. Everything was cut out and ready to go.

With in a couple of days it was done!  Still have to make the back, but that won't take long

.

I had another quilt I wanted to work on.  I have been following Rhonda Dort's blog, and

she announced she was going to teach an on line class through Facebook.

It was going to involve using vintage linens.  I was intrigued.  I have been saving doilies, 

hankies, dresser scarfs, embroidery items from family and friends, and a few that I

I had picked up through the years.

The lessons have been completed by Rhonda, it is up to all of us to work on ours

at our own pace.  My pace was I wanted to get that other top done!

I have already learned about "no waste flying geese".  I have never done that.

She showed us the hardest parts first and had said the rest will be a breeze!

I guess she is right. Over 850 ladies signed up from around the world. Some of those

850 ladies have already completed the top, and some like me, are just starting. 

I can tell you the sharing of the blocks and finished top has been gorgeous.

My first 4 star blocks are at the top of this post.  So far I am pleased with what I have

done.  One thing, it has made me look in all my stash places for the linens and things.

As I have found things, it has made me think about where I would like to place them.

And I found out I have a lot of crocheted edging.  I am sure I will find a use for them.

My idea for this first one, (yes, there will be another). I want to use items that my

Mother, Grandmother, and Aunt and myself that has made.  My Mom was nice, and 

actually put her initials on things she embroidered.  

We got a new computer two weeks ago.  Talk about a learning curve.  I had to have

someone come to set it up!  Now I am learning where everything I moved from one

to another is, as well any work I do, where will it end up.  Wish me luck.

I am sure life will continue to have it's moments, I just hope then don't last as

long as they have.

Wishes to all that have continued to follow me, for a happy, and healthy

new year.

Quilts.

I was on a roll for a while.  I managed to get a lot of tops finished, and then quilted.  What a feeling of accomplishment. Some had been in the works for a while.  I went to the Morton Arboretum to take some of the pictures of my accomplishments.

This is a Charley Harper quilt I started at a quilt retreat.  The pattern was one I found on the Fabricworm website using these fabrics. I even used their idea for the quilting.  It is just straight lines.  I love how it turned out.

Fatcat patterns is where this one came from.

Have gotten into Gnomes.  This one is made using Hawaiian fabric that was all in my 

stash.  Did not make much of a dent in it.  It is all applique, raw edge.

A block of the month. Finished this one in 2019.

Another Fatcat pattern.

This one is the Gnomes at Christmas.  Another block of the month, and

doing it by raw edge.  This was my first attempt at doing this method.

Sure did learn a lot trying this method.

The girls were liking being on this quilt.

There is something about quilts and cats.

Have finally started working on this project from

Hummingbird Highway.  This is also a quilt block of the month.

I have been collecting these blocks for almost three years now.

They all come as a laser cut pattern with instructions of what gets put together to 

complete segments, then how to put the whole pattern together.  They are fun.

They take some time, but once you get working on them they seem to go by fast.

Another Jen Kingwell pattern done.

This one is called "Broken Glass".

When I started this quilt I had been following the size of the blocks

carefully.  Then it got put away for a while.   Then it came out again and I started making

blocks, I found out they were not the same size as the first batch.

I made the decision to find the smaller block, and make all blocks the same size.

That put a different spin on the quilt.  It is a scrap quilt.  I used a lot of different fabrics.

There were circles that were to be appliqued on it, but decided it would accent the fact

that the blocks were not the correct size.

I love how this one came out as well.

I had packets of the tumbler block that were precut.

Time to get this one done as well.  I used what I had to create 

this quilt. This one because a wedding quilt for one of my son

Andy's friends.  They were thrilled with this quilt.

Quilt Seminars at Sea hosted Gyleen Fitzgerald. She had a new

and different way to put this quilt together. Way out of my comfort zone.

I had a pack of 10 inch squares to start.  On my way to Florida to take the cruise,

I stopped at Hancock's in Paducah and picked up addition fabrics to go 

along with the fabrics I had.  Not a color pallet I have used before.

It was time to get some more projects that were in progress done!

Jen Kingwell quilt. I named it 1 2 3 Testing.

When I saw the pattern, I like it. It reminded me of the old test pattern

we used to see on the television when they signed off at night.

Again another scrappy quilt.

Saw this pattern on the internet.  Someone was having a quilt along.

As usual I was a day late and a dollar short.

It is just a nine patch using bright colors and black on white, or white on black

for the background blocks.

My bid on a Halloween quilt.  It is small, a table topper.

Just made a lot of hexies, hand sewed them together and

appliqued them to a block background. It was just fun to 

play around with this one.  No rhyme or reason to it.

This was a finish up quilt.  It is hand applique tulips done in 30's 

fabric.  It was so nice to get another top put together and done.

I had to make a couple blocks to finish it up.

Yellow-brick Road.  My friend had asked that I make her a quilt.

She wanted me to use a combination of black, gray and white.

Some pieces of fabric are in it only once or maybe twice, others more.

It was fun to use this type of pallet. 

Another Quilt Seminars at Sea project.

Was on this cruise in January 2019 to Hawaii.

Jess Finn of  "Paper Pieces" in Paducah was the teacher.

The pattern is Tula Nova and is all hand pieced over different shapes.

This is not the whole pattern.  It goes out as far as the background fabric

would allow.  The background I found in Honolulu to compliment the colors and fabrics. 

I had decided to use.

Closeup of some of the gorgeous quilting that was

done on this quilt.

Another closeup.

Bought this pattern in Florida a couple years ago. Thought

it was a great quilt to use pieces of primary colors.  You just never know 

when you might need a child's quilt.

Here is what I put on the back of the crayon quilt.

I have had this Tony the Tiger panel for years, and a coordination

Kellogg fabric.  I did had to add some blue for the back.

Thought Tony had sat around long enough.

Temecula Quilts, in California had posted this pattern several years

ago. They did it in Reproduction fabrics. I thought it would be fun to do it in

just two colors, green and blue.  There are different shades in both colors, and

all done randomly. Pleased with how this one turned out, too.

Mini quilt from Kathleen Tracy.  

You know how sometimes things just jump out at you, 

and you feel compelled to make it.

It is machine sewn together, and hand quilted using the

"big stitch" style.

A small quilt from the "Quilt Merchant" in Winfield, Il.

This was one of the projects that it was about time to do.

Another picture of the Gnomes at Christmas laying on

one of the Trolls at the Morton Arboretum.

That is it on the quilt front for the time being.

I have a few more that are done for this year, but no photos

yet.  Since we have been subject to staying at home and

only going out of essential things I just have not done it yet.

The Arboretum and Botanic Gardens have been closed. 

Some of the Forest Preserves have been too.  We are

all social-distancing.

Other quilting projects

Fireside Dinner Theater June 28

This Sunday, Kathy and I shared a much needed adventure.

She had received word that the Firside Dinner Theater in Fort Atkinson, Wis. was

going to perform a concert featuring Ed Flesch and Laura Cable.

Ed Flesch is the Artistic Director of the Fireside Theatre. He has directed and produced 

most of the 209 productions. He has also performed as Tevye in Fiddle on the Roof, and Emile DeBecque in South Pacific to name a couple.  He sang songs from some of the productions he has performed in as

well songs from Frank Sinatra and Bobby Darin.

Laura Cable is from New York and has recently performed as Ursula in the Little

Mermaid, and Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. She sang songs as if she was telling a story

"Once Upon a Time."

Two entirely different types of music and styles, and totally inspiring and wonderful.

It was so nice to be able to enjoy this concert.

There was not a full house, as all was set up for social distancing.  Tables for dinner were 

spaced 6 feet or more apart, masks were in use before and after dinner.  When we entered the theatre 

the first row all around was tapped off.  Seating started in the second row and again 6 feet apart per party.  The balcony and upper first floor seating were not in use.  They had even shortened the total

time we were on their campus.  All good.

Kathy and I have season tickets to the musical plays that have about a six week run.  We had

seen Saturday Night Fever in January, and just seen Guys and Dolls in March before all

was shut down. The restaurant part serves some of the best meals.  The ticket includes a 3 course

meal, salad, main dinner and a wonderful dessert.  The whole experience is wonderful.

We may be able to go see Cinderella some time soon.  All depends on how Wisconsin

is doing with the reopening of their state.

Ankeny, Iowa Feb 28, March 2, 2020

Right after our great vacation in Florida, I got to have one more adventure

before our world changed.

Kathy and I had made plans back in October to go to Ankeny, Iowa to a scrapbooking

retreat sponsored by Memory Bound.

The weather was great for driving.  If we had just driven straight through, (what fun would that be),

it would have been a four hour drive. We stopped at a couple quilt shops, and of course

picked up a few "much needed" quilting supplies. Our plans were to drive on Thursday as the retreat

was to start early Friday Morning.

 The retreat was for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It 

started on Friday at 9:00 am.   Memory Bound was open early Friday morning, so we had to be there

to check all things out!  What a great store. Naturally we had to buy a few things for just

in case.  Our plan had been to work on "gnome" projects for cards.

We had these neat dies to make gnomes.  Kind of labor intensive, but we were having fun

creating them.

Everyone had their own table, lots of room to spread out.  

We had lots of things to spread out with!  Let the creating begin.

Spread out we did!

One lady near us let us borrow a couple of tree dies to make enhancements

for our cards. Now we know it would be a good move to have a tree die or two

for future use.

We took mini road trips in the area. We even found a quilt barn.

Kathy knew of this great antique mall "The Brass Armadillo". 

It has been so long since I have been antiquing.  What fun.  Not that we needed

anything, but we each found a few treasures.

There were even a couple quilt shops in the area.

Naturally we had to check them out as well.  You know every shop

seems to carry different fabrics and patterns. Again, you jusst might see

something you need to add to your stash.

Quilt barn signs show up just about anywhere.

Loved this little pattern.  New Christmas fabric seems to be coming in

already.

Found this cute towel with the Halloween pattern embroidered on it.

Ideas, ideas.

While at the retreat we caught a conversation about a new shop called

"Taylored Expressions."  It was not far from us, and they were hosting a free,

make and take. The card on the left is the one I made.  They had everything

set up for us to make it. How cute!!!

(side note, Taylored Expressions and I have become purchasing great friends. Already

have spent a couple hundred on fun dies and stamps.)  Taylor Van Bruggen is the owner and creator of

so many cute and great dies and stamps.

The other card was a fun make and take.  Both cards are techniques I have never done.

Oh my what fun new things for me to learn.  Even at 74 I am still learning new things!

We had so much fun on the weekend.  Hated to have to pack up Sunday afternoon.  Why do things never fit the same for the trip home.

We had decided to stay over night Sunday, as it would have been dark doing the drive home.

Besides, we would be able to make a couple stops on the way home.

After all we did not stop at all the quilt shops on the way to Ankeny!

Can you guess where we did stop?

Does this help?

Mike and Frank of American Pickers!

They weren't there, but we enjoyed looking around at all the fun

things they had for sale. 

As I said earlier, this was the last adventure before all H... 

broke loose.