No Trick...

...just a treat! The winner of the book giveaway is Paula, the quilter! The random number generator chose #3 from all of the entries for The Giving Quilt; Paula, that's you! She wrote: "I support three charities by making quilts: my guild's community service, Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative and Quilts of Valor. In two of the charities, the quilts are given to recipients so they can be wrapped in a quilt that they know someone made just for them. The third sells the small quilts to raise money for research" in response to the question that I posed: why do you give?  Thank you, Paula, for entering and for all of the wonderful causes that you support through your God-given abilities! The book will be sent off to you right away.

Happy Halloween!

Wedges On The Edges

 I decided to try something different this time, after doing three of this style quilt I knew that I loved the scrappy outer border element but I wasn't ever completely happy with the complete randomness of that look with both fabric and shape. I dove into my novelty scrap bin this time, my fourth attempt at these borders, armed with a new tool: a 15 degree wedge ruler! Surfacing with only fabrics that read medium and dark, I cut and trimmed what I could with this ruler; if they were too small and didn't measure up I tossed them back in the bin! Placing the wedges beside each other at opposite angles I stitched the cut pieces into pairs, then units, and so on... until I had pieced borders long enough to fit both sides. I love the results: random colors but one unifying shape; this method satisfies my love for the multi-fabric pieced borders without trampling on my sense of required orderliness, if you can see the logic! Hopefully the top and bottom borders will go together and be added this week. Gregory's birthday is Saturday; his quilt won't be quite ready for the day, but it won't be too much longer! It's a good thing he is patient with his Nana!

Top and bottom border wedges ready to be stitched together,
along side my 15 degree fan ruler, I added the sandpaper 'dots' to the back
for added grip while rotary cutting around my most straggly scraps;
it worked like a charm!

Life is Good!

Rest & Recovery Weekend

I would like to thank you for your prayers and well-wishes on behalf of our son during his recent surgery and as he recovers over these next few weeks. He and our expectant DIL, along with Gregory (and Diesel), were our guests this past weekend enabling us to help out with our very active grandson (and Lab) while they got some much needed R&R in our theater room recliners! Gregory put the  puppies "night-night" under a towel... looks like Mom and Dad weren't the only ones enjoying some much needed rest at Nana and PawPaw's!

Life is Good!

The Giving Quilt

This giveaway is now closed, the winning entry, Paula the Quilter, was drawn on October 30, 2012. Thanks for entering!

Jennifer Chiaverini has done it again. You may already be a  fan of  Jennifer's Elm Creek Quilt novels, if that is the case you know what a treat you're in for; if this is your first title from a wonderfully gifted author, I promise, you'll want to read more!  We all know that quilters are among the most generous people on earth; the Elm Creek Quilters prove that as they gather to prepare for "Quiltsgiving" and set out to answer the question: "Why do you give?" in this, the latest, addition to the popular series.  You are sure to be inspired by the characters portrayed and their contagious spirit of selfless love. This book will be released tomorrow, October 30th, you can find a copy at a book store near you; or, if you're feeling lucky, you can simply leave a comment and explain what inspires you to stitch quilts for those who need them. I will draw a lucky winner from the names tomorrow night and this book will be yours; to keep, or to give away! If you leave a comment be sure that I have an e-mail address to contact you or I will be forced to draw another name!

Good luck~

Life is Good!

Status Update

This was the view from the waiting room chair for most of my day yesterday; I spent the time reading and visiting with/supporting my daughter-in-law. Since the last time I waited out a surgery the hospital has installed a patient status board on the wall.
Much like a status board in the airport that keeps track of flights this one keep track of surgical patients. It was encouraging to be able to watch the progress, albeit slow, from Pre Op to the OR to Post Op. Kyle did well and your prayers on his behalf are most gratefully accepted and deeply appreciated. The surgery was fairly straight forward and, thankfully, there was no additional damage to the ligaments. He and his crutches will be best friends for the next six weeks and then he will progress into a walking boot. He gave me a smile yesterday afternoon before I left him, even though he felt sick as a dog (sorry, Hannes!) from the combined effects of anesthesia, pain medicine and an empty stomach. His sense of humor and wit were no worse for the wear; and when this mother's heart was aching for what he was going through he managed, in his very own signature way, to cheer me with a smile and a quip despite the circumstances.

The very best view: the patient resting at home;
wearing the ultimate status update: his smile.
Hang in there, Kyle; 
Y you!

Life is Good!

Two For Two

There's another two-year-old birthday to be celebrated soon; and sew, there's a second Picture Play Quilt underway! This is Gregory's soon-to-be quilt as it appears on the design wall; I will be adding another round of borders, scrappy pieced ones, before loading it onto Sundance for quilting.

Gregory's Daddy (our son, Kyle) is facing surgery today to repair a spiral fracture in his right fibula following an accident that occurred two weeks ago. He will be receiving internal fixation. Some of you, those who have been reading this blog for a long time, may recall (click) that he is no stranger to this procedure, he had a similar (albeit more extensive) surgery almost exactly six years ago after he shattered the tibial plateau in his left leg following a fall. I am requesting prayer; for God's healing touch, and for patience in the process. I posted this scripture passage back then, for Kyle, it's appropriate to post it, to read it, once again today!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not rely on your own insight.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

Be not wise in your own eyes;

fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

It will be healing to your flesh 

and refreshment to your bones.  

                     - Proverbs 3: 5-8                                                    

                                                                                                                                     

     Life is Good!

Sight Vs. Vision

My husband and I see things differently, well maybe we SEE things the same way but we certainly have different VISION. My husband looks at this and sees a neatly folded stack of fabric while I can see a most beautiful Christmas quilt begging to be born.

I look at this and see logs while he can see the magnificent bowls and vessels within!
Seeing is one thing, vision is something different altogether!

Life is Good!

Never!

Never say never; you could, one day, find yourself having to go back on your word. It's pretty safe for me to say never in this instance however (Hannes can thank me now!). While shopping at a Crafts Festival on Friday I met "Jill" pictured, left, she was riding in a stroller being pushed by her human parents; she had come to have her picture taken with Santa Claus. She wore a Christmas dress and cardigan sweater, black patent leather shoes and socks with ruffles; a string of pearls and  monogrammed headband accessorized her outfit! I asked permission to take her picture (I knew this would be hard to believe without photo proof) and was assured that Jill loved to have her picture taken, she was even encouraged by her "Mom" to smile for the camera; this is the best she could do.

And, just when I thought I'd seen it all...
here was this car, parked in front of mine, in a parking lot yesterday afternoon.
Another, safe to say, never... not in a million years;
there's not enough mascara in the world!

Life is Good!

Reflection

After dinner last evening I went for a brisk walk around the neighborhood; I found the house bathed in a rosy glow of this sunset, inside and out, when I reentered through my own front door, the splendid reflection of a glorious day! Earlier I had attended the memorial service of a friend, prompting a different reflection, the personal type.  As I busied myself through tasks and chores all afternoon I remembered my friend, pondered my own life, and thought about how I will want to be remembered. It's simple really, memories will be, can only be, a clear reflection of how one's life is lived; what a powerful and profound realization! When it's all said and done I can only hope to leave a rosy glow such as this one, a splendid reflection of a glorious life. Wow, that's a tall order, so is the sobering awareness that this eventuality is really up to me; one day, one step, at a time!

Life is Good!

Yes, MAM!

I had my Mammogram yesterday;

scheduled a flu shot too,

 you know what month it is...

 R U Due?

Life is Good!

And Sew It Goes!

How would you celebrate two recent quilt finishes? A party? No! Start a new quilt? Of course! I have another grandchild turning two years old next month and you know that that means: another Picture Play Quilt! (When I told you that this book is the most used book in my quilt book library I wasn't lying!) This will be Gregory's bedspread in his soon-to-be "big boy" bedroom, as he will be vacating the Big Bird nursery before too long to make room for his soon-to-be baby sister! The piecing on this one is going quickly, the blocks are stacked in order and joined together as time allows, row by row! And sew it goes...

Life is Good!

And Another Finish...

As promised yesterday, I have another quilt project to share, one that's  been moved to the "done" column. There's a lot to cheer about at The Strawberry Patch!  This is Lucy Ann's Picture Play Quilt, the pattern from Ami Simms' book by the same name. I posted a while ago about quilting this one with Nitelite glow-in-the-dark thread, one more fun element in this quilt full of little things to discover. "Funny Bunny, Bears and Honey" is bed-sized, she can cuddle up under it and have many sweet dreams for years to come; or, as pictured above, can spend hours on top of it playing, and finding objects to name, match, and describe. Loaded not only with hundreds of novelty fabrics but also photo transfers and fuzzy machine embroidered animals she'll be busy for a very long time! This fills my heart, this is why I make quilts.

A detail of the quilting, binding and accent piping.
"Funny Bunny, Bears and Honey"
66" X 86"
Life is Good!

Light Baskets

I've been AWOL lately, I know. It's high time that I posted  a few* completed projects, those checks in the "done" column have never been valued higher. Life is busy these days, and I know it's not just me, life's busy for everyone. You've seen this quilt before, you haven't seen it finished though; I hung it in the studio on Saturday evening while Mr. Goodneedle upgraded Sundance with a set of M&M wheels! (The M & M wheels are made from a tough polymer that decreases friction, along with a special bearing that provides improved durability and smoother movement.) It's true, Sundance has never moved smoother or more gracefully; these wheels are already making long, extended, quilting sessions a breeze!  You may remember that this scrap quilt is an Alex Anderson pattern, Postage Stamp Baskets from her book : Quilts For Fabric Lovers. I named mine Light Baskets for several reasons. The summer before last I constructed these baskets in the predawn hours of each day, one sunrise/basket at a time. The arrangement of lights and darks in this piece gives a certain "lit from within" characteristic to its appearance which reminds me of the scripture passage from Luke about hiding light under a basket. Light Baskets was a perfect, fitting, name!

A detail shot of the quilting.

Light Baskets measures 62" X 62".

Life is Good!

*Another finish will be revealed tomorrow!

Pumpkin

Our little pumpkin had a birthday earlier this month! Here she is, on her big day, holding the very clothes that she wore home from the hospital two years ago! Do you think she's grown at all?  I embroidered a few little T-shirts for her yesterday. The one on the left is to coordinate with the skirt fabric beneath; the one on the right is just because she's our pumpkin.  Nana loves you, Lucy Ann!
Life is Good!

One Bite At A Time!

There's a cute answer to that funny question about how one goes about eating an elephant: "one bite at a time!" I have a big ol' elephant on my plate these days and it's being consumed in that most sensible of ways. My elephant happens to be composed of many obligations and commitments, all pulling in different directions! It's all good, no need to worry, but it explains my current blog absence. I'm putting the finishing stitches in two quilts and will post photos soon. We've done our share of entertaining lately, my dear mother-in-law recently celebrated her 90th birthday and we've had visiting family members in town, and at our table, for extended festivities. I made these One-Bite (to elaborate on today's theme!) Apple Pies for a simple dessert the other night and they didn't disappoint. (I put them together in a matter of minutes;  they were amazingly delicious!) Nothing says "Fall" like the aroma of apples baking in your kitchen... enjoy! In the meantime, I need to get back to nibbling away at that ever-diminishing pachyderm!

The birthday girl with her three children: Mr. G. is on the left, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law.

Life is Good!

C'mon Along...

My husband and I had the opportunity to attend a quilt show just outside of Asheville a week ago last Friday. I am including here a photo-log and inviting you to ride along with me on a visual excursion of the highlights. I don't have the quilter's names or quilt titles (except for one); if you know these works and can supply me with any information that would be wonderful. This is a random sampling of quilts that appealed to me. There are some whole quilt shots, some details and a few photos with both, as indicated. Enjoy!

This quilt (Country Sunshine) was made by a friend if mine, Sandra Garrison;
 it was quilted by Theresa DeWalt. This is a detail shot, it is a nine block masterpiece.

All batiks, this was put together by the quilt-as-you-go method, I loved it!

This quilt (l) was the Best of Show... detail (r) shows ruching and hand quilting.

Stunning Baltimore Album (l) and incredible quilting details (r); two different shots, top and bottom

I love the bold, graphic visual impact of this organized scrap quilt, with detail shot(r).

How to top off a perfect morning? Lunch!
Homemade. Italian. Oh, yeah...

Wasn't that fun?

Life is Good!