Sew Day With The Girls

Monthly sew day at the Gathering Place, Milton

Liz showed us her new bag she made, love the Yo Yo button

Vicki "butterfly quilt"

Henrietta showing Diana her project

Vicki show and tell the Going Fishing quilt she made

Alice, this is just a border, wait until you see the quilt that goes with it

There were more projects and of course I didn't take pictures of all of them.  I got busy sewing my own thing and didn't take anymore pictures.  Its hard trying to sew and get all the girls with all the projects in a picture.  But at least I'm remembering to take Some Pictures.  So I'm making progress.  Maybe next time I WILL get everyone and all of their projects.  

We had 11 with us today and it was a great sew day.  The time goes so fast and now we have to wait another whole month to do it all over again.

Going Fishing

That's the name of the quilt Vicki made

Beautiful fabrics and colors.  Vicki is so creative, she can take any pattern and make several different quilts from that pattern.  She actually took my "Stepping Stones" and created this quilt just by increasing the size of the strips and repositioned the pieces.

Stepping Stones, Lazy Hourglass, Gems, Merry Go Round all start with the same strip cutting and from there new designs can be made.

The wall hanging I made for Barb, also came from this same strip cutting, just laid out differently and a new design was formed.

Vicki has the creativity to see new patterns from old.  I call this "thinking outside the block".

This is something I like to do all the time.

Before During And After

Where to begin:

So far these beds have been for the most part been de-weeded  (my word wont find in dictionary)  Now its a matter of keeping up with them. Which really isn't that hard.  If I could just get the rest of the de-weeding done it would be easy to pick a weed here and there daily.

Now for what I have been working on for 2 days and still not even 1/4 done.

Thistles thistles everywhere.  The dirt you see is where thistles and creeping charlie used to be. Actually found some flowers under all of those weeds.

This is just a small portion of what I dug out today.  Yesterday there was an equal amount plus dried dead twigs from last years flowers.

Yesterday I started de-weeding this one and clearing out dead twigs from last years growth.  Ran into those tiny burs that grow on a bush. I had them everywhere, my arms, back, front, collar, gloves.  It was like they attacked me trying desperately to protect their territory.  Well boys you are gone now.  Still have tons of creeping charlie, but I can live with that for a little while. At least I uncovered the new growing flowers, at least I think I have.  Will have to attack this patch again soon, but not until I get more thistle out of pond mound.

Around the big tree has been de-weeded, but I have to reattack this soon. They are coming back.

No flower beds here, just beautiful grass and trees. And this is only a portion of the yard.  Wayne has to finish the mowing today.  I wont be mowing anymore today (loved doing what I did yesterday) but now its getting to the hard part, the ditches.  I will leave this up to him.

Its a good thing I cleaned the house yesterday before tackling the yard work.  There is no way I could do any cleaning today.  I woke up stiff and sore, sewed for a while until my muscles loosened up.  Then Wayne and I worked outside.  Now Im resting my back. Im done for today. Could only put in a good 4hrs of weeding today.   I will have to take this in stages, and realize I cant be done in a day.

When its done its going to be beautiful. (I hope)

For the rest of the day, feet up resting my back and maybe I will get to the dishes after about an hour or 2 in recliner.

SPRING!!!!!!!!!

Wisconsin  March 22nd 2012.  This cant be for real

Please Please Please don't burst my happy bubble.  Everybody I talk to says this cant last and we will get hit with a cold snap.  If we do all the beautiful flowers and blooms will die, including the flowers that have now idea its March.

There are so many flowers coming up around here, everywhere I look and dig and weed more are arriving.  They shouldn't be showing there little sprouts until mid  April or May. Apple trees are budding, and I don't even know the names of some of the flowers coming up.

Peonies are popping up like crazy, of course the daffodils are in bloom and crocus are almost done, didn't even get a picture of them. More are coming I think.

This has got to be the most unusual March EVER!.  A warm day here and there yes, but consistent temps in 70  - 80's no way.  Next week dropping to the upper 60's.  I can handle that.

Planning a golf day next week. Can you believe it?

Oh Happy Spring!

2012 Edgerton Raffle Quilt

The Edgerton Annual Quilt Show is going to be October 20th this year, and I just finished quilting the raffle quilt.

This quilt measured 104x104 and took 14 bobbins.  I did the all over feather filler pattern and added a few swirls here and there.


Took me almost 3 days to quilt this.  Loaded  it late afternoon Sunday.  Would have done yesterday, but Wayne wound up in ER yesterday morning.  He is having difficulty breathing, so off to the ER we go.  He is fine now, but has to use his nebulizer daily until he starts to feeling better.  Everyday it seems there is something else going on with him.  At this rate, I will wind up doing the housework, quilting, and yard work all by myself this year. NOT!!!! Told him today there is no reason he cant wash clothes that isn't too strenuous and it would help me not having to do that too.

Now I'm headed outside to enjoy this beautiful day. Its 72 with a beautiful breeze, so time to play in the dirt.

One Of My Favorite Places

Wayne and I met friends for breakfast and a little fabric shopping at one of my favorite places.

http://www.millieswi.com/restaurant.php

Millies Restaurant and shopping village.  

Had breakfast in one of the beautiful dining rooms, did a little shopping in the gift shop and then the quilt shop ( of course)

I was good I didn't buy any fabrics, did purchase a candle in the gift shop.  My good friend Traci is a newbie to quilting, so of course we spent more time in the the quilt shop.  It is such fun shopping with another quilter.

 Found out I can not walk and talk at the same time, managed to step off the sidewalk and landed in a flower bed. Stupid Klutz, but Im ok only hurt my pride.

Today was one of the perfect day, good food, spent time with great friends, came home and customer picked up her quilts and loved them.  Loaded another quilt on the frame for tomorrow, weather is perfect warm with a cool breeze. and best of all Ky came for a while today.

Cant get much better than this.

Wolves

Finished the 2nd quilt for Rose "Wolves"

These panel quilts are so beautiful and so manly looking.

Cant wait to see what the Bear quilt looks like.

Keeping Busy Sun Up Sun Down

Don't even know where to begin with all that I have been up to.  Of course quilting, that's a given. 

Yard work and not hating it. Housework again not hating it.  Now this sounds like everybody's days doesn't it.  

Well for me not so much.  I have never had as much interest in yard work as I have since we moved.  

What has happened to this old lady I don't know.  Maybe because the weather this year is unusual.  We are having upper 70's degree temps. WISCONSIN IN MARCH should be cold rainy, snowing and leaving us with the hopes of warmer days. Maybe its because I know how beautiful  the yard will look this spring and summer when all the flowers are up and blooming or getting ready to bloom. What ever it is, its a good thing!

Our biggest fear right now is we will have a cold snap that will kill off all the spring flowers that are already peeking out from their winter sleep.

On a sad note.  One of our best friends has passed and last night we went to visitation and today the funeral.

It is so hard saying goodbye to a friend like Joe. He was such a special man.  Wayne liked to call him little guy.

He had a smile for everyone and a joke always ready to be told.  If you needed help he was the first one there for you. We will miss him and remember him fondly.

I'm going to contact the daughter and see if they would like me to make a memory quilt with his Harley Tshirts.

I have been working on a couple of customer quilts. Finished one and the other is on the frame and I only have a few more hours and it will be finished.

This is done with simple meandering for the most part, special highlight shadow stitching and outlining on the large deer head and 4 deer panel. It is one beautiful quilt.  Same customer made a wolf quilt like this and that is the one I'm working on tomorrow morning.  Some lucky young men will be the recipients of these beautiful quilts.

With all of that going on I also did some practice squares of a pattern that was given to me. Using scraps I started yet another quilt project.

These stars are extremely easy to make

some scraps from stash I will be working with for more stars

Lately there just isn't enough time in a day or night to get everything done I want to do and yet I want more quilts to come in asap.  Love doing customer quilts and they of course are my first love and priority.  So customers bring them on I'm ready for you.

How can anyone just sit and watch TV all day long when there is so much more interesting things to do in a day?  

March CT Sew In

Our monthly Sew In was today with my friends on Connected Threadz,  and I was able to finish some scrappy, party placemats and table topper. Still need to add the borders but for now they are done. Cute - these will be ready for my first party picnic in our back yard

 Normally on our sew in day I would be in my sewing room all day working on one or more projects.

Today was a day for sewing and to be outside.  Way too nice to be inside all day and as it turned out Diane came to help me with some of the flower beds.  We pulled, tugged, scraped, raked, dug and repeated this process for all of the afternoon.  She knows the names of all the plants and flowers in this yard, amazing. I cant remember any of the names she told me except for a few. I'm going to have to write them down and even then I'll probably still  mess up the names of the plants. Much much more to do, but its going to be so worth it once all the beds are cleaned.  I'm not sure how long this will take, but I do know for sure, wont be done in a day and according to Diane not even in a week.

If weather permits, tomorrow I have a plan to clean up a few more spots in the yard.

Tonight, I'm exhausted but its a good exhausted and Belle even more so.  She was out with us all afternoon and probably put on a few miles running around the yard.  She is sound asleep on her doggy bed and I'm not too far from crawling into mine.

Is It Spring Yet?

Well is it?

I'm so anxious to see green grass, flowers blooming and birds chirping.

Yesterday it was pointed out to me to go looking for spring flowers, so I did.  Diane called me to tell me she found small yellow flowers in her yard, so they must be in mine as well.  She even told me where to look.

 Had no idea what these little yellow flowers were, so what do I do?  Ask! - Received an answer from face book Winter Aconite.  Who knew.  

Today I'm going to look for crocus, they will be appearing any day.  This weekend we change the clocks ahead.  A sure sign of spring coming.

I'm not a yard person (meaning I don't do the clean up) that's Wayne's job, however, today I might, just might get out there and pick up some sticks. Getting a Hugh case of Spring Fever and just need to get outside and enjoy the warmer days.  Its going to be in the 60's again today. Who can resist being outside.  Unless it rains of course.

GEMS Pattern Is Now Available

My newest "Gems" is now in pattern form and ready for sale.  You can either contact me direct jeanr1@charter.net and request a mailed pattern or download through Internet.

I have also added this to my "store" on www.Craftsy.com, where you can download the pattern using Pay Pal

A unique and clever piecing creates a complex looking design that can be accomplished easily by both beginners and experienced quilters.  The size can be increased easily from lap quilt to king if desired.

Waste Not Want Not

Nothing goes to waste in my sewing room.  Anything larger than 1/2" is all good scraps

We have been here since middle December and until today I did not put any window treatments in my sewing room.  Just could not decide exactly what I wanted until last night.  Another brainstorm hit me in the middle of the night.

window number 1 early afternoon

window number 2 late afternoon

Looking at first picture, you can see how the sun shining in makes the fabric look like stained glass. I even lined the back of these valances to make a custom curtain look from the outside looking in.

These look so cool.   When you spend all your time quilting or designing quilts its just seems appropriate your window treatments should look like a quilt design.

The  colored pieces are actually the cut ends from yesterdays quilt. I simply added a brown hst for each scrap, trimmed to 9.5" and went from there.  See I told you I would find a use for these beautiful scraps.  AND I have more ends to use on something else.