Happy Faces

Does Jack look happy? You bet he does... but why, I ask? He's smiling brightly even though his head's been scooped out and will soon be illuminated by a votive candle, and you know that's gotta hurt!



What about these two? Do they look happy? You bet they do...why, you may ask? It's quite simple really, they're getting married! Yes, it's true... there's a ring and a date. Their heads are full of plans and the only thing burning in them is the love in their hearts! And you know, that doesn't hurt, not even one little bit. Aren't they cute?

Happy faces all around...
Life is Good!

Happy Halloween!

What ever happened to Kraft Fudgies? Just the thought of those golden wrappers makes my mouth water even now... when did they disappear from the scene?

I found this ad, too. I don't ever recall Fudgies packaged in the smaller 'tubes' as pictured,
this is dated 1958:Okay, so I was five years old then; maybe I've forgotten a few things!
Regardless of your age, I hope your Halloween is full
of sweet treats and happy memories.
This is Kyle at our church's Halloween carnival on Sunday,
proving that you're never too old to be a pumpkin!

Life is Good!

Fall Bag, New Arrangement

I have a new bag, one for Fall! I have managed to sew this (and its small companion pouch) this week, I love them and know that I will enjoy carrying them. I thought the zipper would be hardest part, but it wasn't at all... sewing and then turning the handles was! Grrr... I stabilized the patchwork with DecorBond and then quilted through that and Quilter's Dream batting, it makes a nice, sturdy weight for a handbag. Fabric: 'Fall Back In Time' collection by Sandy Gervais for Moda.
Pattern: 'My Things' by Rosalie Quinlan Designs.

Other than that, ever since we returned from being away my days have been consumed with catching up and there's been little being accomplished on the sewing front. That's far from saying that there's nothing going on in the studio, though! My husband and I have decided to reconfigure my space and eventually add better, more specific task lighting. I don't embrace change of any sort, it's difficult for me; but this idea was mine! In an effort to find a good, efficient layout the furniture's been moved. I'm forever walking to the space now where the cutting island was and turning my chair in the wrong direction to reach my machine accessory box! Does everyone do this or am I just a slow learner? At any rate, I'm trying out the new arrangement on a trial basis this week to see how everything "fits". If it does, we'll be moving/adding overhead lighting soon and redoing the ceiling.

Stay tuned...
Life is Good!

Memories Of Mackinac Island

Little did we know when we checked in, but there was so much more to love about our Bay View accommodations than the warm, 3 o'clock cookies! Homemade desserts served on the sun porch at 8 PM (ice cream portions that even my husband had to admit were adequate-- that's a LOT!). And the breakfasts... oh, the breakfasts: peach French toast served with fresh fruit and sausages. Broccoli and cheddar quiche served with incredibly light, baked-from-scratch, cinnamon rolls, bacon and fruit. I'm getting hungry all over again just in the reporting! The staff were friendly and fun. Our first morning there we were serenaded after breakfast by our singing waitress with a rendition of Anne Murray's "Snowbird" that I daresay even Simon Cowell would have cheered.

Mackinaw Island is 8.2 miles around, we walked that (we needed to... see above!) when there was a break in the rain. It is such an interesting place beyond the touristy shops and carriage rides. The island completely shuts down at the end of October (excepting the locals) and doesn't reopen until the end of April. Every shop, restaurant and hotel close and lock their doors for six months! The ferries stop running and the Straits of Mackinac freeze. There are approximately 500 local folks who stay year-round on the island, snowmobiles provide transportation back and forth to St. Ignace for supplies once the ice proves worthy. There are 80 children enrolled in the public Mackinaw Island school, which never sees a snow day; sleds and snowmobiles, replace yellow school buses in this environment! The local community is a close one, everyone looks out for each another. Our chef at the Bay View, Rosie, told us that she had stayed over the winter a few times in past years. A large Christmas tree and nativity are constructed and illuminated on the ferry dock at Mackinaw Island in December. She described how this becomes a navigational tool for the snowmobiles returning across the ice from the U.P. I can only imagine how welcoming those lights are after traveling miles across a frozen surface on a frigid, gray, winter's day! There's plenty to remember about Mackinac; but it's the people, and their spirit, that remain in my mind.

Life is Good!

Black Squirrels, The Ice House and Cookies

Our first stop in Michigan was Traverse City and the Leelanau Peninsula. The weather was gorgeous as we drove along the water from town to town visiting wineries and a unique place: The Cherry Republic. As the name implies, they specialize in all things cherry! Life is one big bowl of sweet tasting goodness there. Our trunk was filling up (this was even before the apples went in) with Christmas gifts and holiday treats to share, it was a perfect day. We happened upon a black squirrel while walking that day, not only had I never seen one before-- I'd never even heard of one! It was hard to get a picture, too; I couldn't get very close. Since returning home I've learned that they're not uncommon in the northern Midwest and near Ontario; it's actually a squirrel with an over-abundance of melanin, the opposite of an albino squirrel! We left Traverse City in a cold, driving rain the next morning and headed toward Mackinac City via Grayling and... The Ice House Quilt Shop! The Ice House was warm, welcoming and friendly; everything a quilt shop should be... especially on a cold and dreary day! Large, bright rooms well-stocked with bolts upon bolts of fabric arranged by color and type, a fantastic array of completed quilts (artfully displayed) to inspire, and a well thought-out, centrally located machine area (it's a Bernina dealership) where exhibited models can easily be demonstrated in full view of potential customers. I found some coordinating pieces of the Roman Holiday collection, by Moda, for my "four patch posies" WIP and also discovered a stunning scrappy-quilt made from a pattern, which, I was told, is "not yet available" (the story of my life! arrghh...)! Of course, this may just prompt my next "mission".

The remaining drive from Grayling to Mackinac City only saw the rain intensity increase, as well as the wind. We ate lunch before securing our car in a lot and boarding a ferry for the 20 minute crossing to Mackinac Island. We hired a bicyclist (with a mounted cargo basket and bungee cords) to take our suitcases to the bed and breakfast where we were staying, there are no cars on the island; only pedestrians, bicycles and horse-drawn carriages. The Bay View turned out to be a short walk from the ferry and, to our amazement, we arrived just in time for cookies-- home-baked and warm, right out of the oven! Oh, yes, we knew right away; were going to love it here...

Life is Good!

Honey Crisp Apples

We're back from Michigan, with our car trunk filled full of Honey Crisp apples to share with family and friends! This might be the best apple I've ever tasted, we learned about them while visiting a winery owned by Madonna's father (yes, THAT Madonna!) in Leland, MI last Sunday. The weather along the 45th parallel is perfect for growing this apple, that's what we were told... and it is certainly one perfect apple grown there; sweet, tart, and crisp all at the same time! We had great adventures while we were away, even some quilt-y ones! Stay tuned...

It sure will be good to sleep in our own bed tonight, Hannes agrees, he's happy that we're home too!

Life is Good!

Time Out

Time out, for a week. The Goodneedles are headed north, in search of adventure and cooler temperatures, although fall has arrived here... suddenly and with a vengeance. Armed with a list of quilt shops and a camera, rest assured I'll return with a full report of our Michigan vacation.

In the meantime... I am not the only one who has addressed this particular situation and I don't usually mount a soap box in this forum, but I've thought quite a bit about a post from Bonnie of Quiltville earlier this week and nothing lights a fire under me like this does!

Bonnie has a great blog and is an incredible long arm quilter with a fantastic website full of beautiful quilt photos and free quilt patterns for us to use, straight from her generous heart. Apparently someone has helped themselves to Bonnie's patterns, tweaked them, and is selling them for personal profit; this isn't the first time this has happened to Bonnie. While there may be no legal recourse because of the slight 'amendments', this becomes a matter of ethics. Bonnie's site is copyrighted. Intellectual property is a tough one to protect, but not impossible. The one-click ease that allows us immediate access to Bonnie's patterns for our own personal use is not discriminating, anyone can use the Internet as a vehicle regardless of their intentions. Would the same person who seeks profit from a pattern freely given steal a wrapped gift placed beneath a Christmas tree and sell it on the street? Probably not. Would the same person who seeks profit from a pattern freely given encourage their own child to plagiarize for a good grade on a term paper and pass this work off as their own without citing sources and giving credit? Probably not. Sadly, I think this is a matter of interpretation; not blatant ignorance of right vs. wrong. Just because it's on the Internet doesn't mean it's public domain, this holds true for any copyrighted, protected source. Yes, this type of theft will happen again and again, because it's fast, easy and accessible. But those of use with eyes and keyboards are here, too! Every one of us who has used one of Bonnie's patterns, or even visited her website or blog, has an obligation to be on the lookout for this type of crime. If you see a pattern or design being sold by someone who may not have the rights to it, I encourage you not to purchase it. Ask the designer where it came from. Report the theft. We can do this, we need to do this; stand up for honesty and integrity. When someone uses an underhanded, dishonest tactic for their own personal gain I can not, will not , stand idly by. These so-called designers of 'original' patterns need to be called out and held accountable for their actions! Maybe it's my age, maybe it's politics, maybe it's this-- my 275th post-- that has given me the courage to stand up and speak out here in this place. Join me; stand up for truth, stand up with righteous anger, stand up for what's right, stand up... for all the Bonnies out there!

...thank you.. I'm stepping down now, I have packing to do...
Life is Good!

Whatcha Gonna Do?

It's fall, the calendar says so. But it's also as hot as summer, at least it still is here in our neck of the woods. So, whatcha gonna do? We're splitting the difference and eating Apple Pie ICE CREAM!

Hey, it's all about compromise...

Oh, yes; this is definitely a recommendation!
(Get it while it lasts, it's a limited edition flavor!)

Updates on a few earlier posts:

Brain Age: I've lowered mine and that's a good thing! Although optimum brain age is in the twenties mine is now ten years younger than my actual chronological age. (That's eight years off my initial profile age... still FAR from the twenties, but heading in the right direction!) I attribute this to a rigid daily training regimen. That's both good and bad! The good: I am much faster in basic math calculations and memory games. The bad: "Rewards" for training daily, and improving scores, are more and harder games!

Cat 'Training': Hannes has taken to sleeping up on top of the back of the sofa!?! I'm at a loss on this one, is he learning from her? Does he want to be like her? Is he planning an aerial attack?

Risk-Taking: I'm out on a limb, wish me luck; it's a long way down!

From Studio SP (Strawberry Patch):
The block of the month sessions at my LQS have concluded. A new series of twelve classes will begin in November. I am playing fast and furious 'catch-up' now to complete the old blocks so that I can have a clear conscience in the new classes! I did this years in both the traditional and bright colorways, one to keep and one for my daughter... in that order. Here are two of the blocks, hopefully I can set both tops on retreat next month. These were done using Marti Michell's Perfect Patchwork template method and they all fit together perfectly; they had to, some of the blocks had over fifty pieces, no room for any error!

Life IS Good!

Huh?

Huh?

Life is Good!
...even on those days when things don't quite add up...

On Risk Taking...

I'm not a risk-taker, ordinarily. Do calculated risks count? I'm reminded of this quote:

Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is? ~Frank Scully

I do love apples...
Life is Good!

Boundaries

It's me-- Hannes! I'm posting for my Mom again today. She cleans our house all bright and shiny-like on Fridays and she has given me permission to use her laptop while she's vacuuming, (that hurts my ears), she says she's too busy to post today. I have a problem and I'm hoping someone can help me. As many of you know, my big human brother moved back home last Spring, that's fine with me! He holds me and pays attention to me, gives me treats, and scratches me behind my ears... just right. That's not the problem, but his cat is! Turbo has taken some getting used to. She has some really annoying habits: she drinks from my water bowl, she jumps up on the back of the sofa (sometimes when I'm napping there), and she hisses at me (that's quite rude in my opinion)! I've adapted, reluctantly, to these irritations but there's one hard and fast rule that I am having serious trouble enforcing: boundaries! This cat is one slow learner. The rules are simple, I've gone over them time and time again... the studio is for me and my Mom. Period. No cats allowed! I've barked her off, chased her away and laid down, flat like a pancake (I'm really good at that) right in the doorway to block her entrance. She still waltzes right on in. "Hello? I'm talking to you!" Does anyone have any suggestions, are all cats a bit "challenged", or is it just mine? I'm seeing some progress... but it's by inches. She has been spending hours lately quietly sitting just outside the doorway and looking in, am I getting through or is she simply taunting me? It's hard to tell, I can't trust her. I long for the return of lazy days spent napping on the sewing chair with no feline interruptions. I shudder to think that they might be gone forever, Mom says we never fully value what we have until it's gone. Thanks for reading and listening. I hope someone can help me with my problem, this is affecting my sleep.

Life is Good!
...it's even better with cat free zones...

Quilting With Goldilocks

My husband gave me this Sew Steady table extension as a birthday gift. It will accompany me to workshops, retreats and conferences where I take classes and/or spend time sewing on my portable machine away from the comforts of home. It will expand the sewing space and yields bonus table space beneath the surface, too! I do love to spend time away with my quilting buddies, sewing non-stop. I try to schedule several weekends a year to do just that; but it takes much more than scheduling, it takes planning! I plan what I am going to work on, and try to precut and package as much as I can ahead of time so that I can sit and sew-- just sew! There's lighting to consider, I take along a folding task light which can be placed right beside my machine, I also throw a power strip and extension cord in my bag, in case I'm located any distance from an outlet. Naturally, a travel iron and pressing surface are a necessity, too. The thing I haven't been successful in replicating is comfortable seating. In retreat or classroom settings there's usually a folding chair assigned to each sewing space that's too low and too hard. I have carried along assorted cushions in the past but they slide off every time I get up and out of my chair, I usually wind up tossing them in a corner out of frustration! I saw this nifty little item in the latest Keepsake Quilting catalog: "Krafter's Komfycush". Has anyone seen one of these, or better yet, tried it out? I like the idea of a non-slip backing as advertised and, naturally, the portability. The side pockets might be handy, if not, they are detachable. It's a good idea, wish I'd thought of it; but I don't know how it would be in actual use. Too hard? Too soft? Just right? Please do weigh in if you have one of these, I am eager for input and testimonials! There's a retreat scheduled at the beginning of November and I'm already planning my projects and have designed a checklist for the items I must pack to enhance my own quilting comfort level away from home, I control what I can; the thermostat's another story...

Life is Good!

My Symphony

These words, written by W.H. Channing, were read at the funeral of a friend on Saturday. She had these words framed and hanging on a wall near her bed where she could see them everyday. What lovely words these were for me to hear as I reflected on Jean's life. But greater than that, what incredible words these are to live by, and even better yet...to be remembered by!

My Symphony
To live content with small means; to seek elegance
rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion;
To be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not
rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act
frankly; to listen to stars and birds, to babes and
sages with open heart; to bear all cheerfully, do all
bravely, await occasions, hurry never.
In a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and
unconscious, grow up through the common.
This is to be my symphony.

I found a commentary online about this short essay, a "recipe for wise living", and William Henry Channing. I am deeply grateful for Jean's life, her friendship and her wisdom.

Life is Good!

Just Who Is Mrs. Goodneedle?

I've been both honored and tagged at the same time! Michele, at With Heart and Hands, A Quilting Journey, has awarded me the "You Make Me Smile Award". Thank you, Michele, I am happy to think that the words I type, the written expression of my random thoughts, have brought a smile to someone's lips. Part of the acceptance procedure here is to post a Meme; as Michele writes: "this particular Meme involves using the letters of your name to share something about yourself." Alrighty then, in humble acceptance, I will rise to this challenge...
So, who exactly is Mrs. Goodneedle? Here are a few clues:

Mrs. Goodneedle

Mother
Respectable
Sense of humor

Grateful
Oldest child
Open
Disciplined
Neat
Energetic
Early riser
Dachshund lover
Lutheran
Eager

You're learning more about me than most, there's too many letters in my name when it comes to games of revelation such as this! Please know that you all make me smile everyday.

Life is Good!