... I'll bind it later, but just had to hang it up in the studio for a quick peek at the whole quilt and the over-all effect, I couldn't wait! I like it; I can see
progress on the quilting front, stitch by stitch, we're gettin' there. My plans are for one more pop of red with the piping and a small scale black floral for the finishing (binding) touch. This one fits the space nicely and the colors are wonderful in here. Eventually the loveseat that is taking up space (background, far left) will exit and an oak drop leaf table will enter to sit against the wall under the quilt with a couple of comfortable chairs for doing hand work. At least that's my plan! (I also plan to move the large flat screen TV from the family room to the front wall between the windows in here but that's another post for another day...) One thing at a time, and right now the binding's calling!
Fannye Hall was the matriarch of our quilt guild, she died unexpectedly in December 2005. She taught almost everyone in our county, and beyond, to quilt. She attended every meeting and saw to it that they were run properly. After her death a collection of quilt tops were discovered by her family and generously donated to the guild that Fannye loved, to be auctioned with the proceeds going toward guild projects and education. This split hexagon was one of them. I didn't purchase this one, my friend Nane did. She appliqued the edges to the solid navy border and for some reason I volunteered to quilt it for her! I don't normally do things like that, I surprised myself! "What have I gotten myself into?", I worried. Then I laughed, thinking all along that it was Fannye who made me do it, she always had a way of recruiting volunteers! All summer the prepared top has languished in the closet, I loaded it on Tuesday and said a little prayer, I talked to Fannye as I threaded the machine and asked her what she wanted me to do on this one. I was prepared to quilt swirls and squiggles in and out of each little half-hex. "Talk to me, Fannye" I 
implored. I turned Sundance on and we got started, in and out, back and forth, round and round. I was mesmerized by both the rhythm of the movements and the diverse collection of fabrics that Fannye had hand-stitched together. I finished the first section and advanced the roller to begin again. "What do you think, Fannye?" I asked out loud. Her answer popped into my head. "It's a lot more work than I would have put into it!" I laughed again, "really?" I asked her. "It's nice" came the response. Was I imagining Fannye's responses? I don't know. I asked her to talk to me, she was a woman of few words; I hope she approves.
Yes, another school year has begun again. My husband and I visited our dear daughter-in-law's classroom yesterday at lunch time, she was putting the final touches on her room and preparing to greet a new batch of kindergarten students today! The latest addition to her classroom space this year is a Promethean Board, (interactive digital white board) we were amazed at this incredible technology that has been implemented in the classrooms at this level. Through her laptop the teacher can transmit through an LCD projector (overhead) to the smart screen which has a stylus for writing directly onto the surface as well as fingertip drag and drop capability. It's one fantastic teaching tool. We've come a long way from 1961 and a television strapped to a rolling cart! I still remember being in the third grade and the joy of sitting on a cold, hard, gymnasium floor with my classmates to watch a live broadcast of America's first manned space flight on a big, black and white TV at school! Wow, I just wonder what these Kindergarten students will use as a measure of technological change fifty years from now. You may wonder who the teacher's assistant is in these photos, it's her husband! Kyle is home from Texas for a job interview and a break from the record setting Texas heat. It's good to have him on this side of the Mississippi River again! We are hopeful that he'll soon return to stay.
foible (n.) [foi.buhl]
He traveled from the Capital City to the small, hometown, barbershop that has cut the hair of his ancestors. Mason's first haircut was over before he knew it, a rite of passage from babyhood into little boy-hood. Sitting on Gramps' lap he was calm and cooperative. The experience wasn't one bit traumatic, thanks to the wisdom and experience of Benny the barber. All together now... "awwww"!
It was a great day for a getaway; today was the day, Stone Mountain State Park was the place. A short drive from home and some serious hiking to some breathtaking vistas and Stone Mountain Falls made it the perfect outing, even the rain drops didn't dampen our spirits. We feasted on a late lunch of fresh fruits, vegetables and homemade chicken salad, and washed it all down with sweet tea in a well built (dry!) picnic shelter~ heaven!
I've made a bunch of these pillowcases over the years and placed them on small, travel-sized, pillows for gifts. They're quick, easy and useful. I ran across this piece of fabric while I was cleaning on Friday and then, wouldn't you know it, I had located a few coordinating pieces. All of a sudden I was sitting at the machine and happily embroidering his name on the cuff! I had a million other things to do, but one thing led to another and before I knew it I had made a gift for my grandson. He doesn't even sleep with a pillow, but something tells me that he'll enjoy this for napping and dragging around before too long. What possessed me to drop everything else and make this right then and there? Blame it on love, blame it on this little face, I just couldn't help myself. Could you?
I want to begin by saying that I AM NOT a member of the Red Hat Society. They're everywhere, those 50-somethings, most noticeably (one cannot HELP but notice them!) in restaurants and at quilt shows.They appear to be a large, happy, social group. I am not opposed to happiness, or social groups for that matter; in fact, quite the opposite is true! From the outside looking in I have always just thought that the organization was a bit too flamboyant, that and the fact that I abhor the idea of sporting a red hat in public, or a feather boa or a hat-head! I wasn't aware until today that it all came about as a result of this poem, "WARNING", by Jenny Joseph: 
Do you remember the Magic Eye craze? We found a book of Magic Eye postcards that belonged to our son when we were cleaning out the attic. I remember both of our children studying those images by placing them right up against their noses and then slowly drawing the page back until the 3D image appeared. I had trouble seeing what they did, I do admit to a bit of 'Emperor's New Clothes' thinking at the time and going along with their findings as a way of escaping what I felt was visual torture. I would squint and cock my head one way, then another, but all I could ever see was a blurry image of the cluttered page before me. I can clearly see those hidden images now. What's changed? 
The pages and the pictures are the same as they were back in 1994. Have I opened my same old eyes to new possibilities? Perhaps I have, what an exciting outlook! This post is number 700, a milestone. I have a former giveaway debt, as of yet, still unpaid. I will settle that one (hear that, Kiddo?) and offer another one here today in celebration of this occasion. I will be drawing a random name from comments to this post on Saturday, August 15, and offering a handcrafted, personalized, patchwork journal (similar to this one, but with YOUR initial!) to the winner. Thanks for stopping by, thanks for taking the time to see what I see; even if you do feel the need to squint and cock your head every now and then.
Years ago, when I lived in Europe, I had a friend from Germany who made a trip stateside to visit friends living in Virginia. When she returned I asked her how she liked the United States. Her response surprised me, "there were too many choices", she replied, "I found shopping for anything extremely stressful in America, I was always required to make a decision on a size or a brand". Every day we make countless choices; some are big, most are small to insignificant. Nonetheless, we carry on throughout the day choosing this, choosing that, until we choose the time to turn in for the day only to begin all over again tomorrow. The small choices can be habitual, a favorite breakfast fare or the routing to school or work. The larger ones take careful, sometimes prayerful, deliberation and courage. Our son made such a choice when he graduated from college back in May. He chose to take an employment opportunity in Texas, he left his wife and his dog temporarily and made the cross-country trek. He was excited and hopeful for the future, we all were. Well, unfortunately, the job has gone away. What does Kyle face now? He's looking at another array of choices, I am confident that he will choose well. I posted a while back about choosing to make some personal lifestyle changes of my own, I haven't looked back since that day. Those choices, both nails and diet, were big ones for me. They continue to yield happy results; in fact, after several months of making better food choices I am delighted to have so many more options in a closet full of clothes that fit me once again! I am guilty of taking my blessings for granted; the ability to pick and choose, as well as abundant choices both large and small, are blessings not to be ignored. The next time you're in the cereal aisle at the grocery store or flipping between stations on the radio in your car, think of Beate from Berlin and try to imagine a life without so many choices. Try this little experiment along with me, each time you make a choice today assign a number to it and say a quick "thank you", you'll be amazed at how quickly they add up.
When we choose to be grateful for the abundance that's present we experience heaven on earth. ~Sarah Ban Breathnach
This is all the validation any quilt maker could ever hope to receive. You may recall an earlier post where I showed a photo of a recently completed Picture Play quilt, made especially for our great-niece in Illinois. I snapped this photo a week ago last Sunday evening of that very same little girl sleeping under her brand-new quilt. Her Mommy told me that she slowly fell asleep as she quietly ran her finger from patch to patch, naming each object one by one. Is there any greater joy than this? I can't think of a single one.
I lived in Connecticut for a short period of time almost ten years ago. There are a chain of stores in New England, Christmas Tree Shops, where this phrase is their registered trademark. It always made me laugh when I heard their ads on TV back then; because, in all honesty, who doesn't just love a bargain? I found a bargain of my own on the Internet this past weekend, one that found me chanting the old-familiar phrase above, complete with a Boston accent! I need new walking shoes, the need has far over taken the want on this purchase by a few months, I have literally walked the soles off of my original pair. My husband and I went shopping on Friday evening for rain jackets, we need them for our upcoming trip to Alaska, the lure of a tax free weekend for clothes and shoes was just too good to pass up. We purchased two jackets and strolled on down to the New Balance store in the same shopping center only to find the exact shoes I was looking for have been replaced by a newer, updated, model at a price of $135. I'm not saying these shoes aren't worth that, they are so wonderful and so comfortable that I would pay that amount if I had to, but, I wasn't quite willing to part with that much cash that quickly, even when saving the sales tax. I wondered if I shouldn't at least try to find them on sale somewhere else first. I decided to wait and keep my options open, I could always walk a little bit longer on my shabby-soled pair and come back if I needed to. I did some Internet sleuthing after I returned home and not only was able to locate the now-obsolete style, my favorites, for $76.99 (plus tax); but, there were no shipping charges, and the best part of this story: it was the very last pair... which just so happened to be my size! Wow, I still can't believe it.
I'm catching my breath today, it's good to be home. After our excursion to the Midwest and back I raced to the Capital City and crammed in some Mason-time and then dashed off to Asheville yesterday for a fabulous quilt show at the incredibly beautiful North Carolina Arboretum. Whew! I took a gift basket of assorted goodies to our hosts in Illinois last week. Among the packages of gourmet cookies, crackers, spreads and dip mixes, I had also tucked in this cute little spreader. My sister-in-law opened up the basket when all of the family was gathered in their family room, including my mother-in-law. The following conversation ensued:
