Quilt Show!

I mentioned the Belknap Mill Quilters Guild in the previous post, they have provided a quilt on every bed in the rehab facility where my Dad is currently residing. It just so happened that the guild was holding their annual quilt show this past weekend. After telling dad "good-bye" I was able to stop and visit the show on our way out of town. The show was held at a local Community College, this clothesline of colorful quilt blocks led visitors from the parking lot to the entrance door. I was impressed with the attention to every detail behind this show. The publicity and promotion team is to be highly commended, there were posters and lawn signs advertising the show everywhere, also many businesses in town showcased quilts in their front windows along with show information. If one didn't attend, it was because they chose not to, certainly not because they didn't know about it! 

I snapped a few photos of quilts to remember, there was so much to see! I loved the scrappies, of course, and am always looking for ways to use up my pre-cut bins full of scraps! The applique quilt shown here was so interesting: it is composed of all batik fabrics and each block is individually finished and bound; somehow these were joined together in some fashion to hang as a whole, it was just beautiful. I loved the fact that there were "viewer's choice" awards for each quilt category. I voted a LOT! I also bought a book of raffle tickets but, apparently, someone else won; I never did get "the" call. 😉

Since returning home, energized and inspired completely by the show, I have dug into my bins and begun constructing 8" Churn Dash blocks. And, as usually happens... bonus triangles result... and SEW it goes!

Life is Good!

A Quick Trip

Since I last posted we've made a quick trip to New England and back. The trip wasn't a planned one but came about as a result of another quick trip: one that Dad made straight to the floor a week ago Friday. He got up from his bed that morning and was going into the bathroom, the next thing that he remembered was waking up facing the ceiling; he had fallen backwards, striking the back of his head on the lip of the walk-in shower. It was a bad fall resulting in both stitches and staples to close the wound. He spent that day in the Emergency Dept. at the local hospital and was discharged to home. Two days later he found himself unable to speak. Thinking that he was having a stroke he was, once again, transported to the hospital by ambulance. It was quickly determined, as his speech returned, that he wasn't having a stroke at all; thanks be to God! But, rather, he was suffering from a subdural hematoma, or brain bleed. The pressure on the part of the brain that controls speech was affected and that is what mimicked the stroke-like symptoms. By the time we learned all of the above activity we were packed, in the car, and on the way to New Hampshire. It was comforting for us to lay eyes on Dad and ascertain how he was doing, I am SO GLAD that we went! He was discharged from the hospital to rehab, the same rehab that my mother loved so much, where she spent some of her final days last year. We (including Augie) are no strangers to these long corridors and attentive and supportive staff. 

While we were there we stopped at the library that has been dedicated to my mother. This tribute to her  hangs just inside the door with a quilt that she made in 1998 and framed photograph of her working at her sewing machine. 💗

Dad is all settled into his room, he loves sitting by the window. Until he gets a little stronger and steadier he'll be calling this home for a few weeks. Every bed in this rehab facility has a quilt on it made by the local quilt guild. I am planning a second part to this post in conjunction with that fact, stay tuned. 

When we left to travel home on Saturday, sadly, Dad was more than a bit discouraged. Even though Augie was comforting him to the best of his ability, for someone who is used to "going and doing" on his own being relegated to a rehab facility where one needs to call for assistance every time they move is a hard pill to swallow. In the meantime, prayers are graciously welcomed!

Life is Good!

"Use It Up" and Other Adages

These are remaining squares from a recent project, not to be wasted they were sewn into a rectangle for another purpose. Not a lot goes to waste around here, leftovers are always welcome, both in the sewing room and also on the dinner table! 

I was able to stitch up a handy little tote from the patchwork.  I used this pattern, modifying it to fit what I had already constructed. Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without. 

Sew, you're probably wondering, what were these scraps left over from?

Ta-da! The "Be Attitudes" quilt top is an official flimsy! Again, the borders are made up from what I had left over. Quilting will have to wait a bit because, apparently, there was a fire at Quilter's Dream headquarters and my latest order for a big roll of batting is delayed as a result. 

    All good things come to those who wait.

...or sew they say... 😉

Life is Good!

What's "New"...

... really nothing is new, but let's just say what I'm working on has been rediscovered! I got the binding on the "Pumpkins Squared" table topper and basted down, it's awaiting the handwork now. This one was purchased as a kit by Riley Blake from my LQS several years ago. Everything was included in the kit, including the binding. I bought the October, November and December offerings; they were marketed as twelve different seasonal toppers. Stay tuned for the other two that I have, I won't even begin to suggest when that might happen but I'm on a roll. Hopefully they will make appearances in a timely fashion. 

Continuing with the pumpkin theme, a bit of nightly in-front-of-TV cross stitch taking shape. This is another of the monthly minis from "Prairie Year" by Prairie Schooler. I love them all. 

I posted a while ago about brewing cacao instead of coffee. It's been a fairly recent morning ritual. Janet O, the Rogue Quilter, commented that she and her family loved the flavored varieties. Remembering that, I decided to try the Pumpkin Spice variety when it was introduced; 'tis the season and all that. 

It surely didn't disappoint! I guess there is something "new" here after all.

Cheers!

Life is Good!

Quilting Pumpkins

 

There's been a fall feel in the air today. I'm ready for the change in the seasons. 

It seemed like the perfect time to load this table topper and get 'er quilted, 

it's been hanging around for a good while. 

Quilting Pumpkins~ wouldn't that be a great name for a band?

Life is Good!

Be Prayerful

"God is good all the time, 

and all the time, God is good."

His love is changeless, He hears our prayers. 

Life is Good!

Making the Cut

I figured I might have better luck keeping up with with this blog if every post wasn't a long, extended-version, catch-up post! This one will be cut short, I promise. It's a product recommendation. A friend gave me these spring action Fiskars a few months ago. They are absolutely the BEST THING EVER for cutting batting. If you don't have a pair you need them. Apparently they carry them at Michael's. That's it, you'll thank me later.

                           

                                                            

                                                       You're welcome. 

                                                        Life is Good! 

Hello, September!

I'm afraid that this post is yet, another, catch-up post which will be strangely reminiscent of that old beginning-of-school assignment we all remember: "How I Spent My Summer Vacation"! I do have lots of show and tell, bear with me. 

As the weather allowed, and it wasn't too hot, I spent many an afternoon stitching out on the porch where the light is perfect!

These are a sampling of the seasonal pin-keeps that I managed to get finished over the past months. I've been trying out a variety of edge finishes on these. I ordered a few different trims from Lady Dot. 

I did get Amarillo Skies quilted and bound; it has joined the growing stack of "to be finished up by hand". 

An outer border was added to last year's Lemoyne BOM, it was loaded onto Snowbird...

... and quilting commenced using the "Easy Peasy Baptist Fan panto and Glide thread.

Voila! I still need to name this one. I'm attaching the binding today. 

With space opening up on the design wall it was high time for the Be Attitudes blocks to reappear. 

Working from this book by Nancy Halvorsen, this one must've been pushed off the back burner years ago. In fact, I found this post, dated May of 2008, when I bought the book and the fabrics. 

Instant vintage!! 

No time like the present, right? 

Stay tuned... I'm on a roll. 

Life is Good!