Snow, Fun Hair and Christmas Shopping!

We had some snow yesterday and even though it is November, I'm not ready for it. I was in Avon all day and it rained there, but while driving home the rain turned to snow. It was pretty wet and didn't stay on the ground long, but it was snow and no one seems to remember how to drive in it. There were many people driving 35-40 mph while others were driving well over the 65 mph speed limit. It wan't that bad that we couldn't drive close to 65, and I'll never understand why the slow drivers stay in the left lane. Ok, my ranting is over.

Last night, Jack and I went to Ellen's house (my sister-in-law). We had a fun time visiting with Ellen, Sandy, Bernadette and Sam. We played a game called Sequence that was really fun. We're game people and always enjoy learning new ones and last night was no different. What are your favorite games?

I haven't done alot of my own quilting lately, but I do have a picture of a table runner that I made for someone to give to her parents. The runner is pretty simple but I embroidered the couple's names and wedding date and added the appliqued wedding bands. I like how it turned out and I was told that the couple loved it. YEAH!!

Nikki and Quinn were here Friday night and I got a fun picture of Quinn. It is hard to see, but notice the "helicopter hair" that she is sporting. They are standing in front of my Halloween cheater quilt that should have been taken down a couple of weeks ago. Oh well!!!

I finally finished planting my tulip bulbs. I guess it was the snow that made me decide that I had better get my butt in gear and get them into the ground. I put all of these in the front so we should be able to look out the kitchen window and see a sea of red tulips this Spring. (i'm crossing my fingers and saying a little prayer.)

I've started my Christmas shopping. I have to have all of the gifts for my side of the family ready for the Saturday after Thanksgiving, but of course the only ones that I have bought are for other people. I've got a list going so that should help. I really want to get my shopping done early so I don't have to be out in the crowds right before Christmas. I don't care for shopping too much anyway, but get me in the middle of the crowds and I get downright pissy. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

A Quickie....

I don't have the quilt yet, but I do have a great picture of Quinn. (Imagine that!!)

I was cleaning some of the toys, etc. that Quinn has outgrown so they could be stored away. When I got this playtime mat out, she raced over because she LOVES the animal noises it makes. While she was playing, I finished up with the other toys and figured that since she was content I could start to organize fabric. RIGHT!!

I knew that it would just be a matter of time before Quinn started her facination with fabric (she is related to me afterall), but I'm glad to see that at least she has good taste. Here she is wrestling me for my half yard cuts of Mark Lipinski's Black and White Califon fabrics! I guess l'll have to make another quilt for her - either that or make myself one and let her use it.

Time to Slow Down and Catch Up

I decided that I needed to take a few minutes (more like an hour) and try to get organized. I have a lot of loose ends that need tied. I finally send my family's Christmas lists out and decided what I would be taking to the Thanksmas Party. (My family hold Thanksgiving and Christmas together the weekend after Thanksgiving and we each pick one name to determine who we exchange gifts with this year. Of course, we should have had our lists posted to the family about a month ago but I just did it!)

My family also puts together a family calendar and I am in charge of getting them printed. I think I now have everyone's and that I can get them ready for printing. I try to have them done and ready for distribution at the Thanksmas Party, but I haven't always been successful. There have been years in which I don't have everyone's month turned in and there was one year in which the printer combined our calendar with another family's. Imagine my surprise when I turned to July and saw a family protrait of people I didn't recognize. Fortunately for me, I noticed it at the store, but the other family had picked their's up already!

I am working on a couple of quilts, of course but I haven't taken pictures of them yet. Maybe tonight. I also have some really fun pictures of Quinn that I'll post next time. Anyway, that's all for now. I WILL post later!

Have a great week everyone!

And the Winner is.....

We picked the winner for our Breast Cancer 3-Day raffle quilt. The winner is Alicen B. from Norwalk, Ohio. YEAH!!! I have yet to reach Alicen to tell her the good news, but I'll keep trying. The raffle was a great success and I want to thank everyone who purchased a ticket or stopped to chat while I was selling the tickets at the various festivals, etc.

I have been very busy the last couple of weeks. I have worked quite a few hours and I have also been "stomping the pavement" asking for donations to "Girls Night Out" which is a fundraiser for Cancer Services sponsored by Curves and a slew of other businesses. The event takes place on Wednesday, October 29th and I have been told it is very fun. There is entertainment, food, a silent auction, and lots of other fun things.

I haven't gotten near as much quilting done as I had hoped, but maybe that will change soon. I need to finish the guild blocks and get them to Karen ASAP and I want to finish quilting my Pineapple Blossom and get it bound. Of course, there are other UFO's that need work, but I've been sketching and I want to get busy on those. I have also been checking out some blogs that have some awesome quilts that I want to do. Oh, there just isn't enough time.....

My "Quinn Update" includes that fact that she is now mobile! She can crawl pretty well but I think she really wants to walk. Nothing is safe now and I guess that means that I had better keep the pins off the floor!

Looking Through Old Photos

I decided that I needed to clean up some of the photos on my computer and I came across one of my favorite pictures.

This picture was taken when Nikki was a freshman at UC. She had a home rowing meet and a bunch of my family came to watch, including my mom. As you can see in the picture, it was a nasty, cold, windy, and rainy day and the race never took place but we sure had fun. While we were waiting for the weather to clear up and a decision to be made about the race, we all ventured over to the boat storage area to "get out of the elements." Now, imagine us all bundled up in coats, scarves, gloves, etc. and Mom using her walker to climb a substanial hill to reach the building. It was pretty funny and Nikki's teammates were impressed that Mom was still there. They started calling her "Hard Core Grandma." When you say it now, it sounds a bit pornographic, doesn't it, but we all laughed about it and had a good time. That was the only opportunity that Mom had to see Nikki race, and even though it never materialized, it sure makes for a wonderful memory!

On the sewing front, I have Homecoming sashes to finish up and I also want to work on my guild BOM, so I guess I should get busy - or maybe I'll just continue looking at pictures and sew tomorrow:)

Whoo Hoo...Twice in One Week

Ok, get your minds out of the gutter. I'm talking about the fact that I have posted two times in one week!

I finished all six sets of pink and brown blocks for my swap and they were mailed out this afternoon. It will be fun to get the other blocks and put the quilt together. Here is one of each of the 6" blocks that I made. I worked early this morning (5:30 - 10:30) and then had a lunch meeting at 11:30 that lasted until almost 2:00; but when I got home, I spent a little time going through my fabric to see what I want to work on next. I decided that I want to get the guild BOM done before the next meeting. If we have the top together we get a prize, and even though that is not a big deal to me, I think I had better get it done before I end up putting it in a tub for nobody knows how long!

Guess what! I have a couple of pictures of Quinn to share. First of all, she loves her swing in the tree. Jack and Lynn put this up a couple of weeks ago and I love to put her in it. It is great entertainment for her as well as us. I don't think Nikki has been here when we've had her in it, so I have to make sure that we use it the next time she is here because she'll get a kick out of it.

The child really works up an appetite on the swing and I think she could just about eat anything. If this isn't a sign that she's teething, I don't know what is! Actually, I figure that I could just smear her food on the edges of the high chair and not even bother trying to feed her with a spoon. This seems to be much more efficient, don't you think?

If you haven't had the opportunity to read Judy Laquidara's blog today, you really should. It is quite an inspirational entry today! Follow the link on the left to her blog and enjoy.

I'm off to sleep. Enjoy whatever you do!

I really do complete some things....

I know that I may not post very often, but I do get some projects completed every once in a while! I've been working on some UFOs and am finally seeing some progress. I completed an old BOM from a couple of years ago (ok I'm sure it's more like 5 or 6 years ago, but who's counting?). This was a Quilts and Kreations BOM and it was all in batiks. I really liked the project when I was piecing the blocks, but I put it aside until I decided what layout I wanted and then it was put aside to decide how to quilt it. I finally decided to do an all-over meander and be done with it. It is bound and already given away (as are all the quilts that I am showing here)!

The next two quilts are king sized and they were really fun to make, but I knew they would be a pain to quilt so they just got set aside. There was no real destination for them when I started, but of course once I got them out to work on again, the decision was easy. A friend of mine belongs to a church which is raising money for their maintance and repair fund. I sold these to her to sell in the auction. I was really pleased at how well they turned out and am sorry that I don't own them anymore. Oh well, I know they were used for a good cause.

The first quilt is a single block Carpenter's Star, which was very quick and easy to make. The second quilt is just a couple of blocks that I liked together. I don't really have a name for it, but I like it. I know the pictures are not great, but I was home by myself and couldn't figure out any other way to take the pictures. I don't have any place to hang something this large (106" x 106") which is what I can do with some smaller quilts. Does anybody have suggestions on better ways to take pictures of really large quilts when you are alone?

The last quilt here is the one that I made for Jack's son David and his fiance Rachel. I gave it to them at the shower this past Saturday. This one is large also, about 101" x 101", and was quick to make. They had registered for a comforter that had the same colors as this one, but the one they chose had circles on the fabric. I decided that I didn't want to work with circles, so I went with squares instead. I knew that Rachel wanted a quilt but that she didn't want one that was too feminine looking. I think this design is pretty "gender neutral." I like this design and I think I will make one for me to keep. Now I just have to decide on colors!

I have taken the plunge and decided to enter a swap. (Thanks Kare. It was your exeriences with swaps that made me decide to do it.) The swap is for 6" blocks made in browns and pinks (no 9 patches). I have four sets completed and can do as many as 6. I will decide after updating this blog if I'm going to do more, but I probably will, since I don't really have to have them mailed out until Monday.) I'll take pictures of my blocks and post them later.

Ok, I'm off to look at my brown and pink fabrics and decide what I'm going to do. Or maybe I'll just go watch the rest of the Indians game. They just scored 6 in the 5th inning and that was fun! I always find this time of year a bit sad because the baseball season is coming to a close and I am not a fan of basketball.

Have a great night everyone!

Catching Up

Ok, I admit it. I really suck at updating my blog!!! I have a few minutes here, so here's a little bit of what's been happening. Unfortunately, it isn't much sewing, though.

The 3-Day Breast Cancer walk was AWESOME!!! I don't have my pictures edited yet, but will soon and I'll post some. It was really hot Fridayand Saturday (90's), but Sunday was really pleasant (low 80's and only 15 inutes or so of rain). I met some really neat people and it was great to walk with Lynn and have Jack at camp when we started out and returned each day.

I previously told you about our Fundraiser Bake Sale at Bob Evans and below is a picture. We had at least 3 times as many items as you can see on the tables and we made over $550! Lynn is in the center of the picture and the lady to the left works with Lynn. Her name is Anita and her mom, Louise helped also. These two women were wonderful! Not only did they donate a bunch of food, they also stayed and worked the sale all day! Thanks Anita and Louise:)!!

The Melon Festival was this past weekend and I helped sell raffle tickets for the guild. I didn't work as much as I have in the past because I had to work Saturday morning, a party Saturday night and people already working Sunday and Monday morning. I did work a long shift Sunday night and the last shift Monday. It was fun to visit with lots of people while working!

I was really busy Monday morning and evening. Before I worked the festival, I froze 10 dozen ears of corn while Lynn was cleaning beets for me to can. I didn't start canning until after the festival because I didn't want to have to stop once I got started. As it turned out, I didn't get started until late, but I did stay up until I had 24 quarts pickled and canned! I probably have just as many to go, but I decided that I need to get some sleep. I know, I'm a wimp!

Nikki and Lynn LOVED pickled beets when they were young. The first time their dad and I told them they could each have their own garden area and that they could grow whatever they wanted, they both said they wanted to grow pickled beets! That year I canned 85 quart jars of beets and they barely lasted until the next year. I have a deal worked out with my ex-in-laws. They grow the beets and I pickle and can them. George loves to grow the produce, but every year Pat dislikes canning more and more. We started this arrangement about 3 years ago and it has worked out great! As you can see from the picture below, it is only a matter of time before Quinn starts eating beets! (I bet you thought that I wouldn't add a picture of Quinn to this post, didn't you?!?) In case you can't read what Quinn is saying here..."These peaches are ok, but when can I get some of those pickled beets?"

Ok, I have alot to do before I go to work this afternoon, so I'll continue later - maybe tonight, maybe next week. Who knows!

Today's the Day

We are leaving in about 1 hour for the walk. Jack has to be there for "crew training" and since we didn't want to take 2 cars, Lynn and I are going with him. We'll help set up for the opening ceremonies, sort T-shirts, etc. Jack will have to be at opening ceremonies at 4AM so I'm sure we'll all TRY to go to sleep early tonight.

Pray for good weather (cool and no rain, please) and I'll update early next week!

Here's a Quickie!!

The bake sale was a huge success! We had a ton of food and even though it was a fairly slow Saturday for Bob Evans, we sold a lot. We started selling a little before 9:00AM and were scheduled to stay until we sold out (we assumed that would be around 2:30 or 3:00). There was so many items donated that we were there until around 4:00; but we did sell out. As usual, I met a lot of interesting and fun people! I don't have my camera here to download pictures, but I hope to do that tonight.

We are getting close to the 3 Day event and I've checked the weather forecast. It is supposed to be cool in the mornings and evenings, but hot and humid during the day. Also, there is a chance of rain on Sunday. Of course! Oh well, as you all know I'm not made of sugar so the rain won't hurt me. It sure didn't last year!

I'm both excited and anxious for the event. My foot has been giving me some real trouble lately and I worry about that. I guess that I just do what I can and not put myself on too strict of a schedule. I have 12 hours each day to complete the 20 miles so I don't have to be back in camp within 7 hours! I will take my time and get there when I get there.

Lynn has been babysitting every day this week and won't be home until tonight so we haven't really had any time to organize ourselves yet. We'll have to get the packing done tonight and make the final decisions on how we are decorating the tent. Since we are each allowed 1 bag at 35 pounds, we have to do some constructive packing to get everything that we need to take. Our shoes (2 pairs each) take up a lot of room! We know that we over-packed last year and hope to avoid that this year. Jack is also allowed 1 bag and I doubt that he will exceed the 35 pounds, so he should be ok. Anyway, we are getting excited.

I have binding to add to two large quilts. I was hoping to work on them before the weekend, but I don't think that will happen. That will give me something to do next week, while I recover. I'll also post pictures.

The Melon Festival is coming up fast and I will be selling raffle tickets for the guild quilt. It is pink and brown and I love the quilting. Check out Karen's blog http://karensquiltingbarn.blogspot.com to see a picture.

Baking up a Storm!!

Well my house smells great and so far I haven't eaten a single cookie, muffin or brownie!!! Lynn works at Bob Evans in Norwalk and they are hosting a Bake Sale for us tomorrow. Of course we are baking alot, but what is really neat is that a lot of the employees are donating baked goods as well.This is the last organized fundraiser before the 3-Day walk so I hope it is successful. I am pretty near my goal and with the Pampered Chef donation I should be good. Lynn still has a little bit to go, but I'm not really worried about it.

Anyway, I will take some pictures of everything we bake and at the sale tomorrow and post them. I will also post the picture of Devon's quilt. Speaking of Devon, he is getting stronger and doing well. He is getting breast milk through his feeding tube and has stopped losing weight. I think he is now up to 1 lb., 7 oz.!!! Lisa was able to hold him (in the incubator). She was so nervous, but so happy. I see a bright future for this little guy. He's a fighter!

I better get going so I don't burn any of the cookies!

I'm Back

I was told by my friend Karen that I needed to post here, as it has been quite some time since I've written anything. Of course I always listen to Karen, so here is my post!!

As usual, things have been very busy here. Lynn and I had our second garage sale and that went pretty well. We also had a fundraiser Pampered Chef party and that was fun. The party was an ice cream social and we had about 20 people attend. We had over $1000 in sales and we get 15% of the total donated to our 3-Day fund. Yeah!! I also sold raffle quilt tickets at the Basket Festival and that was really good, so we've given our 3-Day fund a retty good boost lately.

Speaking of the 3-Day...we are less than 3 weeks away from the event. I am getting pretty excited, although my foot has been giving me some real problems. I guess I just have to "suck it up" and deal with the pain!

This past weekend, my niece Lisa (from the Dayton area) was visiting my sister Ann in Canal Fulton and she ended up delivering her baby early. Devon Michael was born Monday at 11:15 in the morning and he weighed 1 lb. 15 oz. It is amazing to see him. He is 14" long, but so tiny. He is hooked up to a ventilator and he has an IV going in to his belly. It is amzing to see him. The doctors have been doing lots of tests on him so at this point everything is pretty much a "wait and see" situation. I have faith in modern medicine and I'm sure in a couple of years you'd never know that he was born so early and small. Of course I've made a quilt for Devon. I have to hand stitch the binding to the back and I plan to finish that before work tomorrow. I'll post a picture soon.

Ok, it's 3:05AM and I'm getting tired. I'm off to bed for the night and I promise to try to post more frequently!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Since I haven't posted since the garage sale, I'll start by telling you that Friday was an awesome sale date! Saturday left a lot to be desired because it rained for most of the time we were open, and Sunday was slow but not terrible. I was by myself Saturday and Lynn was by herself on Sunday because I was at the Milan Antique Festival selling quilt raffle tickets. Anyway, the next garage sale will take place at my ex-in-law's house in Berlin Hts. during the Basket Festival (the first weekend in August).

I've been pretty busy with work and getting some quilt orders done. Pictured is a memory quilt made from the clothing of a man who passed away last year. The fabric came from such clothing items as pants, jeans, sweaters, T-shirts, knit polo shirts, flannel shirts and shorts and a North Face hiking jacket. I like how the log cabin blocks went together on this quilt. I think that the pattern displays a good amount of fabric, yet isn't just one big square. The border is composed of various shirts and T-shirts that had logos that couldn't be cut down enough to fit into the log cabin block The new owner was pleased with the outcome, and that makes it all worthwhile.

Quinn was here earlier this week and as usual, picture taking was involved.

Jack and I took three of the kids that we tutor to Cleveland on Wednesday. We went to the Science Museum. That was a lot of fun and I think Jack and I had just as much fun as the kids!

Jack's daughter from Pennsylvania will be visiting this week. I'm not sure what the schedule is, but I think they will be with us Wedsnesday or Thursday through Saturday. It will be good to see them. I think the last time I saw them was in March at Aunt Ruth's birthday party. I was going to try to think of something special to do, but I doubt that'll be necessary. Sam has already asked Jack if he can learn to shoot the 22 and I'm sure Ian will want to practice shooting also. I guess that I'm learning to not plan too much, so I'm not disappointed if it doesn't happen.

Garage Sale Preparations

Our big fundraising garage sale begins tomorrow (actually, later today) and we've been working on gettting ready for it. We've had LOTS of donations and that's great. Pricing everything is a pain, but we've learned that individual pricing is the way to go. Customers like it much better when they can see the asking price and not have to guess or wait until we are close by so they can ask. Anyway, it's a pain, but well worth the time and trouble.

I had to work from noon to 7:00 and I really had to go to the grocery store or I'm sure my family was going to forbid me to enter the house. It was close to 8:30 by the time I made it home, and by the time I had the groceries put away and grabbed something to drink, it was almost 9:00. I walked outside and began to work on final pricing when Jack came out and said that we had better get the tarps ready because it was going to rain. Of course, I was not happy, but I did it anyway and he was right, it rained. After the rain stopped. Lynn and I worked for a little longer then decided that we'd just have to get up early and finish. We were a little afraid to set anything else out, for fear that it would start raining again. (It had not rained again, by the way...)

Of course, Lynn, being the smart person that she is, went to bed but I decided to check my e-mail and post to my blog!! Who needs a decent amount of sleep anyway, right?!? I'll post again in the evening and let you know how the sale is progressing.

Training Walk and Quilt Order Pictures

I had a training walk this morning and it went pretty well. Three women joined Jack and myself for the walk and we left the Norwalk trailhead at 7:45. We stopped for a restroom and stretching break in Monroeville before heading to the Sand Hill trailhead outside of Bellevue, seven miles away. After a short break, Jack and two of the women returned to Norwalk by way of a car while the other woman and I made the seven mile trek back to Norwalk. It was a beautiful day for the trip and it was nice to meet other 3-Day walkers. I'm a bit tired tonight, but not bad. I'm happy that I was able to get the 14 miles in and feel pretty good. I don't remember when I reached the 14 mile mark last year, but when I think about it, I still have to add 6 miles to that for three days come August!

Unfortunately I developed my first blisters today and I will have to get in the habit of taping my feet before anymore training walks. YUCK!! I have a short walk scheduled for tomorrow morning at the Norwalk Reservoir. We will walk the Reservoir perimeter 3 times to get 6 miles. Jack will be joining us at the marina, but will fish rather than walk. My nephew Sam is hoping to join him there. They will enjoy themselves and it's nice to have them there in case we need anything.

I told you I would include pictures of the T-shirt quilt that I finished, so here it it. The pictures aren't great because I was home alone when I finished the quilt and didn't have anyone to hold it up for me. Oh well.... There were so many T-shirts of all shapes and sizes that I decided to put this together without sashing or borders. The woman who ordered the quilt really wanted to have the front be just the T-shirts anyway. To fill some of the "empty" spaces, I used leftover fabrics from the shirt backs, sleeves, etc. I made sure that every design and logo was added to this quilt because the shirts belonged to a man who passed away 2 years ago and this was ordered by his wife for their 3 year old son. Because of the layout, there are a lot of partial seams, but they really weren't too bad. Also, I did not use interfacing on this quilt. I had to be very careful to avoid stretching the fabric while cutting and sewing, but I was surprised at how little stretching I had. Te finished size is 80" x 96".

I also finished another quilt order and delivered it. The ten hand pieced blocks in this quilt were made by the great grandmother of the woman who ordered the quilt. She originally had 20 blocks, but gave half of them to a cousin. She wanted a quilt made from the remaining 10 to give to her grandmother as a birthday gift. I was able to find some vintage fabrics (print and muslin) and some close reproductions. She wanted a large quilt, at least a double so I figured that I had no choice but to put the blocks on point and add a border. I embroidered the history of the quilt blocks and quilt and placed that in the center of the quilt.

I embroidered a feathered wreath in the alternate blocks and quilted a grid over the entire quilt top. I really like the way it turned out and so did the woman who ordered it and her elderly grandmother. I'm glad!

Back from Vacation

We're back from a wet, but wonderful vacation! Even though it rained almost every day we were away, we were still able to get a lot of walking, fishing, and basic relaxing accomplished. I've included some pictures of the house we rent for the annual event that always proves to be inspiring, fun and enjoyable. This year the men and children were invited to join us from Sunday through Thursday morning. From noon on Thursday until Sunday, it is "Sister's Weekend" also known as the "Estrogen Weekend."

The screened-in porch was a common meeting place for most of us during the week. There is a table with four chairs, a swing, and four additional chairs so plenty of people can sit and talk in the gentle breeze. (Really, we stayed there most of the time because that was where the cooler was located with the drinks!) There was a nice view of the grounds from the porch as well as the lake. Speaking of view, the deck was another wonderful place to enjoy the view. It extends the entire length of the house and can be accessed from the porch, the living room and the back end of the house. Many of us spent lots of time there as well.

I was able to get some of the quilting done that I wanted to. I got all of the T-shirts cut out and ready for sewing and I got a good start on my Rail Fence and Stars quilt. I finished the T-shirt quilt after we got home and it was delivered on Wednesday evening. I'll post pictures of those later. I started on another memory quilt today and I got most of the clothing cut apart and ready to sub-cut.

Now that we are home, I'm trying to catch up on things and I can hardly believe that it is the 4th already. We've done nothing special today and that is fine with me. Actually, I did nothing special. Jack went sailing with a friend of his and he really enjoyd it. It has been over 20 years since he's sailed, but he felt right at home. I know I'll be joining them on a trip soon!

I have a 14 mile training walk scheduled tomorrow morning, so I have to get some of the paperwork ready for that. I'll post again later tonight or tomorrow after the walk.

Babies make life so much better

Have you ever noticed how babies can make you forget about your worries and pain? Now I don't know if it's true, but I really think that Quinn was pretty excited to be coming to visit me today. I snapped this picture as she was "talking and laughing" soon after she arrived. If I was the swearing type, I'd swear that she was telling me the story about what she said to Nikki when she found out she was going to spend the morning with me! (Okay, I know that is stretching it a bit because she's only 10 weeks old, but you can let me dream can't you? )

I love this picture and think it is my new favorite picture. Did you notice the hair clips trying to control the hair? I think they are adorable, and I can't believe that Quinn leaves them alone.

We were at the funeral home earlier today, and that sure was difficult. Ben was such a nice young man and had tons of friends. I feel so bad for his parents. I just can't imagine losing a child, especially one so young. I got an e-mail from Ashley's grandmother today and she said that the recovery is going slowly, but progressing. I'll keep her in my prayers.

I think about Ben and then look at Quinn and realize how precious life really is! While Quinn was here today, she took a long nap and I was able to just sit and watch her. (I should have been sewing; but hey, they grow up so fast that I wanted to just look at her.) I'm just guessing here, but I like to think that Quinn was dreaming about how comfy her quilts are and that they help her sleep more soundly.

I'm hosting a 13 mile training walk tomorrow and hope that we have a nice morning. We're starting at 8:00, so I hope we beat the heat. Speaking of walking, I'm going to be doing quite a bit of that over the next week.

Jack and I leave Sunday morning for Burr Oak. We'll be spending time with some of my siblings and their families until Thursday afternoon, when the men and children leave and Mom and the sisters offically begin the "Sisters' Weekend." Jack and I plan to walk, fish, read, and just plain relax. I'm taking my sewing machine and a couple of projects. I want to complete a T-shirt quilt that I'm working on and maybe get a good start on my Ohio Star/Rail Fence quilt. I just started that project, but it is pretty easy. The rail fence blocks are done, (71 of them - they are so easy) and I have four of the Ohio Star blocks done. The blocks finish 6" and I have to make a total of 72 star blocks. The quilt is for me, so if I don't get much done it's not a big deal. I'll add pictures when I return.

There is very little cell phone coverage and no internet access at the house we rent in Burr Oak, so I won't be able to post or check e-mail for a week. It will feel strange, but I think I'll live. I'll post when I return.

Have a great week everyone!!

Rough Days

Hi Everyone,

The last few days have been a bit rough. My ex-husband's nephew was in a boating accident and was missing for a couple of days. Lynn was at the shore when his body was recovered and that was really difficult for her. I know she is glad she was there, but it was just tough for her. The visitation is Friday and the memorial is Saturday.

Saturday morning, I am hosting a 13 mile training walk for area participants of the Breast Cancer 3 Day. We are meeting at the Rails to Trails trailhead on N. West Street in Norwalk and walking 6.85 miles to the trailhead on Sand Hill Road outside of Monroeville. We will return to Norwalk to complete our 13 miles. I sure hope a lot of people join us for the walk. It always makes it more fun to have lots of people walking. Everyone is welcome to join us. You don't even have to walk the entire distance!

In regards to quilting; I haven't done much in the last couple of days. I had hoped to get my Safe Haven Block of the Month block done, but I haven't even started it yet. Maybe tomorrow....

Jack and I will be joining a number of my siblings in Burr Oak next week. I'll fill you in with more information about that later. It is getting late and I have to be up early tomorrow, so I'll continue with this later.

Have a great day and don't work too hard.

I'm Back!!!

After two long weeks and very little free time, I'm back to updating my blog. Yeah!!!! I guess that I have been put to shame by my friend Rachel who started her blog about a week ago and she has posted every day and has even included videos. You rock Rachel!!

Well, I don't have video but I do have a couple of new pictures of Quinn.

She sat up in the seat tonight and joined us for dinner. She likes to wave to us and then laugh. I love the hair clips, don't you? I think they make her look older than 9 weeks.

I also love her hand behind her head in the bottom picture. She does that all of the time and I laugh every time I see it.

I've been busy quilting the last couple of weeks. I finished a quilt for someone who had 10 handpieced blocks from her great grandmother. She originally had 20 blocks but one ofher cousins wanted some of them so she split them up. She wanted a queen size quilt made out of the blocks to give to her grandmother (the daughter of the quilt maker). I decided to put the blocks on point and have a plain muslin alternate block since the blocks were hand appliqued on muslin. I embroidered some information of two of the blocks and quilted a feathered wreath 6 of the blocks. I then quilted a grid through the entire quilt. I really hated to give up that quilt! I took some pictures but don't have them downloaded on the computer yet. I will add them soon.

I have to get to bed soon because it is 11:10pm and I have to be at work by 5:30 tomorrow morning. I should have sent out the guild information tonight but I guess that will happen tomorrow. I only work until noon, so I'll do that as soon as I get home.

Good Night!!

Quilts and Cookbooks

The Quilt is Done

The raffle quilt is done and we are selling tickets!!! Lynn and I are participating in the Cleveland Breast Cancer 3-Day walk again this year and since we EACH have to raise $2200, we are raffling off the quilt shown here. The quilt measures 81" x 99" and is machine pieced and quilted. All of the fabric used is quilt shop quality fabric. The drawing will be held October 18th, which is right in the middle of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5. If you'd like to purchase a ticket e-mail me and we'll take care of you!

In case you aren't familiar with the 3-Day event, this is a 60 mile walk over the course of 3 days. We walk 20 miles each day, camp out for 2 nights and even though it is rough, it is such an emotional and amazing experience that I didn't think twice about walking again this year. Of course I think that the most challenging part of this entire thing is to raise the $2200, especially with the economy the way it is right now. Besides this raffle quilt, Lynn and I are having a fundraiser garage sale. We are asking for donations of unwanted items so that we can sell them and put the money earned into our fund. We have been getting a few donations, but could always use more. We are trying to clean and price items as we get them, and so far we are keeping up pretty well.

If you'd like to make a donation directly to our fund, you can go to our personal fundraising website provided by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. This site is secure and allows you to make a donation online. Go to www.08.the3day.org/goto/JoanneHubbard Just click on the DONATE NOW button and type in Joanne Hubbard from Ohio when it asks for the partipant's name and home state and you're all set. THANKS!!!

The Cookbooks are Published!!!

I am really excited because we picked up the Strawberry Cookbooks a couple of weeks ago and the timing is perfect! I think the book looks great and for $12 is a bargain. Sandy did a great job getting everything finalized for this project and I am just thrilled to see my name on the front cover!

Troy Mills Farms is my sister-in-law's farm. My brother John (who died unexpectedly in October of last year), Ellen and I had talked about this cookbook a couple of years ago and I started to gather recipes and experiment. It wasn't until Sandy said, "Hey, how about getting that cookbook published" that things started to get done! Anyway, there are 110 recipes in the book, all strawberry, and they have all been tested. Some of the recipes even have low fat or low calorie options added to them! There are a lot of interesting facts about strawberries included, some pictures, and even a few beautification recipes, like facial scrub and pedicure cream. Now I guess we just have to wait for the berries to ripen so we can get cooking and have smooth hands and feet!!!

The Sudoku Quilt

I made this quilt for a class that I taught in Lakewood at Kathy's Creative Sewing Center. The class was about color (value, intensity, etc.) so I made all of the puzzle fabrics a shade of green. The students followed suit and one used blues, one used purples, one used reds and the last one used a mixture of colors (and fabrics - cotton, silk, tapestry, etc.). Two of the students were relatively new sewers, one was a new quilter and the fourth was quite experienced in all forms of sewing, especially clothing alterations and construction. She was working on quite a few prom dresses and wedding dresses during the two weeks of class. She is very talented and my talents really pale next to hers. We had a very good time, sewing. laughing and enjoying each others' company. They all have suggested some other classes that they want to have, including the toothbrush rug. I told them lots of stories about Kare and now they can't wait to meet her!! No pressure there, right?!?

Pink Lemonade

This quilt is for a class that I am teaching at Sew Little Time. This quilt is from Eleanor Burns' Quilts Through the Seasons. I think this is the fifth quilt from that book that I have taught. I really like it when I can make a lot of quilts from one book and I know that customers like it also. If I spend $28 on a book, I sure do feel like I've gotten my money's worth if I make at least two or three of the quilts. I really like this quilt. Of course, I didn't use the lighter fabrics that Eleanor Burns did, but I like my colors. Below is a close-up of one block so you can see the fabrics better. I like that touch of purple in the center of each block. Of course I fussy cut those!

To quilt this, I stitched in the ditch around the center block and the two red flying geese units. I also stitched in the ditch around the small green squares that created a chain across the quilt. I stitched a small meander in all of the background areas. I had fun with this quilt and wouldn't mind making another one, only I would make it larger. I usually only make a lap or twin quilts for class samples, but I usually make at least a queen for home. Lately I have been making all king size quilts, but find that I have a hard time quilting them. Kare has reminded me that I am supposed to be at her place quilting those, so I guess I can continue to make them and expect to get them quilted. YEAH!!!

Speaking of king size quilts, I have one that is ready for binding. I was hoping to get it sewn on before we went to Chicago, but that didn't happen. Maybe I can get to it tomorrow. I also want to finish the border on my scrappy, bright Pineapple Blossom so I can get that quilted, and I still have not decided on the final border for my Carolina Crossroads. I guess I better get my butt in gear and get busy!

Goals, Smoals

Well, so much for my first goals! I was very busy today and when I started to inventory my projects, I got side-tracked. The good side of that is that I got two quilts quilted and one binding is half done! I'll take pictures and post them as soon as the binding is done. The quilt that I'm in the middle of binding is the one that I am going to raffle off as a fundraiser for my 60 mile walk in August. I should have had this done a long time ago, but since it didn't happen, I'll get it done now and do my best to sell tickets! No crying over spilled milk or late projects!!!

Even though I didn't get my quilting organized, I did work on getting the basement organized. We are having a fundraiser garage sale June 11th and 12th so I was in the basement going through some boxes of holiday decorations, etc. to see what I haven't used for a couple of years and what I'm willing to get rid of. I'm pleased with the outcome so far, although we need a lot more stuff to make any money. The re-organized basement will also be a storage for some of my lesser used quilting supplies and fabric. I am trying to figure out a better system for storing fabric so that I can bette see what I have in my stash. I'm thinking that shelving in the basement might be the answer. I'll still have my tubs of fabric and works in progress in the sewing room, but I'll also have fabric downstairs. I'm thinking that I'll put my batting down there also, since it is so bulky.

Jack and I have a luncheon tomorrow and we probably won't be home until 1:30. I also have to work from 3-7. I've been trying to exercise and walk every day as preparation for the 60 mile walk, but it sure does take time. I shouldbe walking 5-10 miles a couple of times a week, but there just never seems to be enough time. I have to buckle down or I'll be paying for that come August!

A Goal

I've set a goal for myself! I want to get all of my pieced tops quilted by the end of summer. I first have to make my list and then prioritize. There are some tops that I know I will never quilt myself, so they will have to be sent out for quilting. I have quilted some king size quilts before, but I don't generally find that fun and end up frustrated and not very happy with the finished product.

I know that I already have backings ready for some of the quilts, but I've just put them aside thinking I would get to them later. What that really means is that I found another project that I just HAD to do and the quilting was just going to have to wait.

After I have the quilting done, my next goal will be to finish or decide what to do with my UFOs. I have been working on them, but I still have some. I've been really good at using my stash for any new projects and I know that a couple of my UFOs just need borders added, but that I don't have enough fabric to do that. I know that in order to finish some of the UFOs, a trip to the fabric shop will be needed. Oh darn!!! Anybody want to join me?

I have a couple of quilts that I can use for our guild challenge quilt. We had to use a fat quarter bundle or multiple fabrics from our stash. There were a couple of other requirements, such as it had to be at least 24" x 36" and at least one of the border fabrics had to be used in the body of the quilt. My black and white quilts pictured in an earlier post both fit the challenge rules, and they were both completed after the challenge was issued. I have pieced a couple of other tops since the challenge that could work, but I doubt that Ill get them quilted and bound before the June meeting. I guess that trying to get them done is another goal for me. Even though we only get the $10 prize for one quilt, what the heck, I'm going to try to get more done. What did I call this earlier..."finish up mode?" I think I want to finish things up so I have to go shopping for more fabric and notions.

I've been playing around on EQ and have come up with a couple of new projects that I want do. I'm going to try to be good and wait until I get some other things done. Who knows, maybe getting these quilts done will allow me to give some quilts as Christmas gifts.

I read a cool blog today. http://quiltingcowgirl.blogspot.com She's pretty fun and is having a drawing to celebrate her 300th post. What a cool idea! Since I'm new at this, I'm a far cry from 300 posts, but maybe I'll do something special for my 100th post. Check out her blog!

I'm running errands tomorrow, but hope to get some quilting done as well. I should have most of the evening to get my list started and organize my projects. I'll post my progress soon and perhaps a picture of the "Need Quilting" and "UFO" piles. I'm also sure I'll have at least one "What the heck did I do" quilt and will have to decide if it's worth keeping. Wish me luck!!!

Busy Day!!

Today was pretty busy. I got home much later than I had planned last night and it was after 10:oo PM when I started baking the 10 doz. cookies needed for the bank order. It didn't take too long to get the cookies done, but I was on the computer until after 2:00 AM. I had to have the cookies delivered before 9AM, so I didn't get up until close to 7AM.

I made 4 different kinds of cookies and was prepared to make 5, but I had exactly 10 dozen with the 4 kinds. The bank doesn't usually care what kind of cookie I bake, except during major holidays when they want at least 1/3 of the order to be cut-outs. I don't mind making the cut-outs, but I don't like to frost them! Fortunately there were no cut-outs requested for today's order.

After I delivered the cookies, I had to get some paperwork done here at home (pay bills, etc.) and I had a couple of packages to get ready to mail. I did a quick "pick up" cleaning of the house and then I did some mending and a small amount of sewing. I had to be at work a 2:00 and I wanted to make a couple of stops on my way in. I worked until 6, stopped to see Nikki and Quinn and then came home to spend the evening with Jack watching the baseball game. It was another good game and we just relaxed and enjoyed ourselves. Lynn was at the game so we kept looking for her on TV. She and her friends were on the last time they were there, but I didn't see them. While they were on the way home, a friend called them and said he had recorded the game and he saw them. Pretty cool! Fortunately they were doing anything stupid like picking their noses.

I have a guild meeting tomorrow, but I am going to go work out first. I want to be there by 8 so I can get home and shower before the meeting. We are supposed to sew after the meeting, but Idon't want to take my machine and I don't have anything ready to bind or have any other hand work. Maybe I'll go find something to cut out. Decisions, decisions!!! I know, I'll start a new black and white quilt!

Black & White Doesn't Have to be Boring!!

Yesterday I mentioned that I have been in a black and white phase, so I'm posting a couple of pictures. The picture to the right is a variation of the crazy 8 pattern. I love the "controlled scrappy" look that the quilt has. I have always admired scrappy quilts, but I guess that I am too much of a control freak (I know, I'm just a freak!), but I always worry that fabrics next to each other won't "work." Over the past year or so, I've made a number of "controlled scrappy" quilts and I have been working on a couple that are a little less controlled. Sometimes it is difficult, but when I find myself trying to match fabrics I put it aside and work on something else. Not only don't I get frustrated, I also don't get bored!

The quilt to the left is one that I call 4 Patch Deception. It looks like there is sashing around the 4 Patch but actually, the sashing is sewn into the block. It is actually a variation 9 Patch, not a 4 Patch. I love the bright yellow in this! I also like the toes peeking out of the bottom of the quilt.

As you can tell from the photo below, it is really hard to find good help these days. I doubt that they thought I would keep the picture, but of course I did and I can't wait to tell them that I posted it here!

The quilt below is one that I did as a test pattern for someone from stashbusters. This is the small version, minus the final border which is solid black. I have finished this top, but need to quilt it. I will post a picture of the finished piece soon. I started the large version of this, but I haven't gotten much further than the first red and black border. I have everything ready to finish it, but just haven't gotten around to it. That one should finish about 100"x 100". Like the touch of yellow in the 4 Patch Deception quilt, I like the red in here. I could easily see these quilts all together layered on a bed.

Actually any of these quilts would work for our guild challenge quilt, although this last one was started before the challenge was issued. For the challenge, we had to take a fat quarter bundle or fabric from our stash and create a quilt no smaller than 24" x 36". We could add one background fabric and if our quilt has multiple borders, at least one of the fabrics in one of the borders had to have been used in the body of the quilt somewhere. All three of these quilts fit the challenge requirements, as the fabric all came from my stash. I started to collect black and white fabrics after I made a photo quilt for someone who wanted only black and white fabrics. I really liked that project and that was what got me going on these quilts. I still have quite a bit of fabric, so I know I'll make more. Maybe I'll add purple to the next one!

We're a little strange here, but I'm getting stuff done

Well, we are big baseball fans here and we love the Cleveland Indians. We also like to play guessing games, so what better way to do that than to have a "Name That Junk" quilt. The object is to look closely at the "junk" and see if you can match it up to the Cleveland player or coach. This wall hanging was done as a gift for Lynn's very good friend Amy, but we sure did have fun with it! I'm thinking that another one might be in order soon - one that we can keep here! I recently taught a class on how to make a photo quilt and was tempted to ask Amy if I could borrow the quilt. I decided that might be "pushing it a little, so I showed some rather conservative quilts instead.

We watched the Indians beat the Yankees tonight and that was fun! It was a good game, frustrating at times, but fun nonetheless.

We are also Ohio State fans and I was asked to make a quilt for another fan. I was told that I could do whatever I wanted, as long as the quilt was in Ohio State colors, was a lap quilt and not too "over the top." Do you think they saw the (Name That Junk Quilt?) I love it when I am given some direction, but not too much when I'm making a quilt for someone else. Here are some pictures.






Anyway, the quilt is ready to go to its new owner tomorrow (actually it is tomorrow). The front is a log cabin pattern in scarlet and grey, and for the back I pieced the "Big O." I think it turned out pretty good. I did an allover meander for the quilting (red in the red area, and grey in the rest).

I pieced the backing for 1 queen and 2 king size quilts tonight. I have the batting ready, so now I just have to get them layered and I'm ready to go. I have a couple of other tops that are ready to be quilted but I have to decide my backing and quilting design. Maybe it's the weather, but I am in the "finish it" mode. Perhaps if I get these quilts done, I can give some of them away for Christmas gifts. I know that at least one of the tops was originally made with the intention of being a gift. Obviously that didn't happen. Maybe this year!

I've been playing around with my new camera and the photos that I have stored in the computer. The camera is pretty easy to operate and I think the pictures are pretty good. I have taken a few pictures of quits that I am working on, and I'll post them later. When I was playing around with the photos in the computer, I realized that I don't have them organized and labeled very well. Hopefully I will get to that later today and post some other pictures. I have kind of been in a black and white phase and I have 3 or 4 quilts to show that.

I got the guild minutes out today, and of course the e-mail accompanying them was pretty wordy. I think that I do that just because I can, even though I know if annoys some people. I feel that by doing that, I don't have to send a newsletter because the e-mail says everything that a newsletter would. I guess that basically I am too lazy to do both! Oh well.

Evening Sky

Did you see the sky tonight? I thought it was so beautiful that I had to take these pictures! I especially like the one with the trees.

As you can tell, I bought a new camera. I couldn't believe how many times in the past 5 days that I wanted to take a picture, but didn't have a working camera! Now I just have to remember to keep the thing with me.

Jack is in Philadelphia visiting his daughter and her family. I wish I had been able to go, but because of work and class commitments, I couldn't. Hopefully I be able to get there soon.

Nikki. Lynn and I went to my friend Stephanie's house tonight. Her neighborhood is having a garage sale tomorrow and she invited us over for a preview. We picked up a couple of books, a baby stroller and a couple of odds and ends. I haven't seen Stephanie in a couple of months so it was nice to see her. We got caught up while Nikki and Lynn were "shopping".

I have to work tomorrow from 7:00 - 11:00AM and then I have to go to Sew Little Time. I am supposed to teach a T-shirt Quilt class, but since my work schedule changed, Rachel will teach until I get there. Hopeully I can leave work right at 11:00, but my guess is that it will be closer to 11:15.